The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) Punjab chapter plans to march towards Chandigarh on March 5 over pending demands. Though Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has invited farmer union leaders for talks, the 'Chandigarh Chalo' call remains. The SKM has an 18-point memorandum, including the withdrawal of the National Policy Framework on Agriculture Marketing (NPFAM) and the minimum support price (MSP) guarantee, which will be discussed with CM Mann on Monday evening, said farmer leaders. Farmers from all 23 districts of Punjab will participate in the gathering, with the largest turnout expected on March 5, coinciding with the final day of the sit-in, which is anticipated to last until March 11. The unions have not been granted a location to protest in Chandigarh. A call for a week-long protest, starting on March 5, has been issued by 37 farmer unions from Punjab that are part of the SKM's Punjab Chapter, along with BKU Ugrahan, which is an associate member of SKM. "Rations are being collected from the villages, and flex sheets are being prepared to be pasted on trolleys, which will be ready by tomorrow evening. The villagers are also preparing the trolleys. We are prepared to move towards Chandigarh at any time. However, we will wait for the outcome of the meeting between farmer union leaders and the Punjab Chief Minister on Monday evening," Jhanda Singh Jethuke, vice president of BKU Ugrahan, told The Indian Express. Sector 34 in Chandigarh was designated for a week-long protest by BKU Ugrahan from September 1 to September 6. The Punjab chapter of SKM participated for just one day on September 3. Both groups shared a common demand for the implementation of the agriculture policy. "After the week-long protest, the Punjab government released a draft of the Agriculture Policy 2023. However, this draft has not yet been implemented," Sukhdev Singh Kokrikalan, the general secretary of BKU Ugrahan, told The Indian Express. "We have made numerous suggestions, including several amendments that are needed for the policy. Yet, despite our efforts, they have not even addressed these amendments to date." He stated, "Chandigarh is our capital governed by the Centre. Therefore, we have the right to protest here because our main demand pertains to the scrapping of the NPFAM, which has been established by the Union government." Some of the key demands from the 18-point memorandum: The central government must withdraw the NPFAM and fulfil all the promises made in the official letter issued after the protest against the three farm laws was called off in December 2021. This includes the legal guarantee of MSP. Although the Punjab government has passed a resolution to nullify the NPFAM, the amendments made to the APMC Act by previous Akali and Congress governments should also be repealed. To safeguard Punjab’s environment and soil fertility, it is essential to implement farmer-friendly, environmentally sustainable, and diversified agricultural policies. The Punjab government should draft and execute an agricultural policy that includes the recommendations of farmer organisations. The Punjab government should introduce a one-time debt settlement scheme for cooperative institutions, specifically land mortgage banks and the Punjab agricultural development bank. The Punjab government should ensure MSP-based procurement for Basmati rice, maize, moong (green gram), potatoes, peas, and cauliflower to promote crop diversification. A proper system should be established for procuring and paying for wheat. Farmers should be compensated for losses incurred due to delayed paddy harvesting. The families of farmers and labourers who lost their lives during the Delhi farmer protests should receive compensation and be offered one government job per family. The Punjab government must fulfill its commitment to build a memorial for these farmers at a central location by urgently allocating five acres of land. Land acquisition for highways and other projects, including the Bharatmala Project, must comply with the 2013 Land Acquisition Law. Sugarcane farmers should receive their pending dues with interest from the sugar mills. Fines and cases against farmers for stubble burning should be withdrawn immediately. Notices regarding these fines must be halted, and punitive actions, such as red entries, should be cancelled. All police cases registered against farmers during protests should be withdrawn. Additionally, cases filed under the attempt to murder provision against farmers during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Ferozepur should also be dropped.
