The Samyukt Kisan Morcha, a coalition of hundreds of farmer unions, will observe June 26 as “Save Agriculture and Save Democracy Day” to mark the 46th year of Emergency and seven months of their ongoing agitation against the Centre’s farm reform laws.
Making this announcement at a press conference in Rohtak on Thursday, the SKM leaders said that farmers across the country would protest outside Raj Bhavans on June 26 and submit a memorandum to President Ram Nath Kovind through the Governors.
Swaraj India national president Yogendra Yadav, addressing the press conference, said under the Narendra Modi government Emergency has become the new normal and it has become imperative for the farmers’ movement to save democracy along with seeking the repeal of the three laws and guarantee for Minimum Support Price.
‘History repeating itself’
All India Kisan Sabha, Haryana, vice-president Inderjit Singh said history is ironically repeating itself as the same BJP leaders, who had been projecting themselves as victims of Emergency all these years, are now running the country under “undeclared Emergency”. Himself a Maintenance of Internal Security Act detenue in 1976, Mr. Singh cited how the Constitution was systematically subverted by the BJP.
Farmer leader Prem Singh Gehlawat recalled how Prime Minister Narendra Modi had “deceived” the people with populist slogans before the elections and was now “blatantly serving the corporate sector at the cost of toiling people”.
Satyawan, another farmer leader, said agriculturists from Haryana would assemble at Nadda Saheb Gurdwara before marching towards Raj Bhavan to submit the memorandum urging the President to prevail upon the Union government to amicably settle their demands.
