All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee (AIKSCC)
Press Bulletin | 3 pm, December 4, 2020
– Hundreds of Delhi Citizens, Democratic Organizations Protest at Jantar Mantar in support of Farmers
-AIKSCC condemns Police Notices to protesting leaders for violation of Epidemics Act, demands withdrawal
-AIKSCC criticizes Niti Ayog for advocating Corporate Growth in Agricultural for revival of Indian Economy despite the harmful impact on Farmers
-AIKSCC says discussion on MSP meaningless unless Swaminathan formula, All crops and All farmers are included. Reiterates demand of repealing of 3 Farm Acts and EB 2020
Hundreds of students, Women’s Rights leaders, industrial workers and intellectuals of Delhi rallied today at Jantar Mantar to protest against the Govt. of India’s callous attitude towards the just demands of the Farmers. They were stopped and heckled by the Delhi police, but they held their ground and continued with their meeting, where leaders expressed their anger firstly the repression and hurdles placed on the march of the Punjab & Haryana farmers, then the failure to address their main concern and now the repression that has begun by giving Police Notices and preventing protests.
Meanwhile the Delhi police has been issuing notices to protesting leaders for protesting under violation of Epidemics Act. This is a foul and repressive misuse of the Act. The Act has not been applied to Bihar elections where the PM himself campaigned, or to the massive gathering during Bhopla Dipawali celebrations or to the Varanasi Deepotsava. It is being used specifically against those who dissent. AIKSCC demands that these notices be withdrawn. It reiterates that it will continue to violate such anti people orders and laws to ensure that democratic protests continue.
AIKSCC Working Group has severely criticized the Niti Ayog VC, Ramesh Kumar for advocating Corporate Growth in Agriculture and these 3 Farm laws, saying that during Covid 19 only agriculture grew at 3.4 % and it can become the basis of economic revival. Agriculture withstood the onslaught of Covid restrictions by the Govt, specifically because it has only limited exposure to Corporate plunder. All Corporate sectors suffered heavily. Corporate penetration in Agriculture will ruin this sector also. It will provide Corporates monopolized growth and high profits, but will harm the farmers, multiply their losses and debts, increase suicides and snatch their land.
Reiterating its demand of repeal of the 3 Farm Acts and EB 2020, the Working Group of AIKSCC has said there is no space absolutely for any discussion on MSP as farmers interest can be safeguarded only when MSP is given at the Swaminathan formula of 1.5 times the cost of all inputs (C2), it is declared for all crops and there is guaranteed environment of purchase of crops from all farmers. Illogical arguments are being raised by so-called Govt. ‘experts’ that guarantee of MSP will lead to inflation, even though 1.5 times cost of production can easily be ensured by drastically decreasing cost of inputs, which will secure farming, ensure income to farmers and yet not raise inflation. World over, inputs are cheap and heavily subsidized leading to cheap food grain. Farmers correctly fear that Corporate control will be promoted by these laws will lead to very cheap imports and harm their interests.
AIKSCC has expressed surprise that political forces are changing their stand and after meeting of Amrinder Singh with Amit Shah, after which he has called for mutual settlement in place of repeal of the Acts.
