SKM Calls for Burning Union Budget Copies in Protest

The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM), a large group of farmers' organizations, is very angry about the new Union Budget for 2024-25. They say the budget helps big companies more than farmers and workers. To show how upset they are, the SKM has asked people to burn copies of the budget in villages across the country. 

Farmers' Demands Ignored 

The SKM leaders say the budget doesn't listen to what farmers have been asking for a long time. They wanted the government to forgive farmers' loans completely. This is important because, sadly, about 31 farmers kill themselves every day in India because of money problems. The SKM also says the budget doesn't promise to pay farmers a fair price for their crops. They want the government to buy crops at a price that's 50% more than what it costs to grow them.

The farmers are also upset because the budget doesn't increase the daily wage for a government work program called MGNREGA. They say the government should hire more people for empty government jobs and pay workers at least 26,000 rupees per month. 

Big Companies Benefit, Farmers Lose

The SKM thinks the new budget is unfair because it gives big companies a 5% tax cut but doesn't help farmers much. They say the government is collecting most of its taxes from the poorest half of the people, which isn't right. The budget also cuts money for fertilizers, which will make it harder and more expensive for farmers to grow food.

The farmer leaders are worried that the government wants to bring back some laws they didn't like before. These laws were about farming contracts and selling crops. The farmers had protested against these laws earlier, and now they think the government is trying to bring them back in a sneaky way.

Food Security at Risk

Another big worry is about food security. The budget talks about getting 1 crore (10 million) farmers to do natural farming. The SKM thinks this is dangerous because it might lead to less food being grown. They say the government should be careful about changing how so many farmers work. 

The SKM also points out that the budget doesn't help with other problems farmers face. For example, it doesn't give money to farmers who lose crops because of wild animals. It also doesn't help sugarcane farmers who haven't been paid for their crops yet. 

In conclusion, the SKM sees this budget as being very unfriendly to farmers and workers. They think it helps big companies more than the people who grow the country's food. By asking people to burn copies of the budget in villages, they're showing how strongly they disagree with the government's decisions. The SKM wants the government to listen to farmers' needs and make changes that will really help them.