CH NEWS, SHIVAMOGGA
The Joint Committee of Samyukta Kisan Morcha Central Trade Unions held a massive protest at Shivappanayaka Circle on Monday. The protesters expressed their anger that while the central and state governments are implementing anti-farmer, anti-labour, anti-Dalit, anti-women and overall anti-people laws and policies on the one hand, they are stifling the democratic rights of the people on the other.
They opposed forced and unjust land acquisition, corporate land grabbing, and anti-labour minimum wage revision, and demanded the repeal of the Seed Act, the National Policy Framework on Agricultural Marketing and the four labour codes.
The central and state governments are putting farmers’ land in the hands of domestic and foreign companies like Ambani and Adani. He complained that this is pushing the entire working class of the country into the era of serfdom and is following an anti-labor policy.
As recommended by Swaminathan, a minimum support price should be legislated for farmers’ agricultural produce. A debt-free law should be implemented to waive off all types of loans of women agricultural labourers and a statutory minimum living wage should be enacted. Women’s reservation should be implemented. The price hike of all essential commodities including fertilizers, diesel should be controlled. The privatization of banks, insurance, health, and education should be stopped. Drought relief measures should be taken immediately. The current year’s crop insurance compensation money should be released immediately. The state and national disaster relief funds should be increased 10 times. Disciplinary action should be taken against adulterated fertilizers. Bagar Hukum cultivators should not be harassed for any reason. The protesters have demanded that the cultivators be given title deeds.
State Farmers’ Association President HR Basavaraj, CITU District Convener M Narayana, BCUT Employees’ Association State Vice President Hanumamma, DSS Haleshappa, Karnataka Jan Shakti State Secretary KL Ashok, District Farmers’ Association President Raghavendra, State Farmers’ Association Women Convener Bhagya Raghavendra and others were present.
