United Kisan Morcha in Haryana Announces Escalated Protests Against Unmet Demands

In a significant development, a pivotal meeting took place on Tuesday among five organisations comprising the United Kisan Morcha at Gurdwara Dera Kar Seva in Karnal. The consensus among these organisations was to escalate their protest to the 4th Commissioner level if the government failed to address their demands. The organisations, represented by leaders like Sukhvindra Aulakh, Suresh Koth, Mandeep Singh, Chhatrapal, Amrit Singh Bugga, among others, decided on specific dates for protests in Ambala, Rohtak, Hisar, and Karnal if their demands were not met promptly.

Mandeep Singh, a farmer leader, expressed the frustration prevailing among Haryana's farmer unions due to the government's alleged failure to uphold its promises. Previous discussions with the government concerning their demands had yielded no positive outcomes, leading to increased discontent.

The key demands put forth by the unions encompass a range of issues. These include Jumla Mushtarka Malkana (assured income scheme), complete debt relief for farmers, implementation of the Swaminathan Commission report, the enactment of a guarantee law for Minimum Support Price (MSP), freedom from unemployment, payment of outstanding compensation for crops, settlement of sugarcane dues, and the waiver of the three per cent interest charged on loans through committees. Additional demands involve providing MGNREGA workers with 200 days of employment linked to farming, withdrawal of cases registered against farmers during the previous movement, repeal of the Land Acquisition Rules of 2013, and elimination of unreasonable charges on electricity bills.

Suresh Koth, another farmer leader, accused the government of deceiving the farmers in Haryana. The protest strategy outlined includes four demonstrations at the commissioner level, scheduled to take place in Ambala on December 29, Hisar on January 4, Rohtak on January 10, and Karnal on January 19. Koth urged Chief Minister Manohar Lal to acknowledge and address these demands, questioning the CM's commitment to the welfare of Haryana's farmers compared to initiatives in other states. He specifically pointed out the inconsistency, questioning whether the CM is primarily responsible for Haryana or Rajasthan based on statements about paddy prices in different regions.