In a latest development in the ongoing farmers protest, the Samyukta Kisan Morcha has announced that farmers will protest in front of FCI offices across the country by gherao. Marking this day as FCI Bachao Divas, a memorandum letter will be given in the name of the Minister of Consumer Affairs, SKM said.
The event “FCI Bachao Divas” aims to protest the government's attempts to do away with Minimum Support Price (MSP) and Public Distribution System (PDS). “For the last several years, the FCI budget has been reduced. Recently, the FCI also changed the rules for the procurement system of crops,” said the SKM.
Besides, SKM, an umbrella body of 40 farmers' unions has also said that it will march to parliament in the first half of May. SKM has announced a parliament march in the first fortnight of May. Other than farmers and labourers, women, Dalit-Adivasi-Bahujans, unemployed youth and every section of the society will be part of this march. This program will be completely peaceful," it said in a statement.
Tthe SKM will come to the three main protests sites - Singhu, Tikri and Ghazipur - in their vehicles to participate in the "paidal" (on foot) march to parliament. The date for the march is yet to be announced. The farmers' unions will intensify their agitation against the laws from April 1.
They said they will block the KMP expressway for 24 hours on April 10.
Other than farmers and labourers, here women, Dalit-Adivasi-Bahujans, unemployed youth and every section of society will be part of this march. It also said that the march will be conducted in a peaceful way.
The march to parliament had originally been scheduled on February 1, the Budget Day. However, it was cancelled due to the unexpected violence that happened during the farmers' Republic Day tractor march.
Farmer leaders also announced their plans to block the Kundli-Manesar-Palwal expressway for 24 hours on April 10. "We will be blocking the KMP expressway on April 10 for 24 hours, that is from 11 am on April 10 to 11 am on the next day. "We will be doing this because the government has not been listening to us. It has been sleeping. This is to wake up the government," another farmer leader said.
Separate events will also be organised to commemorate Ambedkar Jayanti, and Labour Day.
