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Updated May 23rd, 2021 at 21:00 IST

CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury supports farmers' call to hold all India protest on May 26

Shortly after 12 Opposition parties extended support to call May 26 as all India protest day, CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury also supported the protest.

Reported by: Gargi Rohatgi
PTI, ANI
PTI, ANI | Image:self
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Shortly after 12 major Opposition parties on Sunday extended support to Samyukta Kisan Morcha's call for a countrywide protest on May 26, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) Secretary-General Sitaram Yechury also extended his support. Taking to his official Twitter handle, Sitaram Yechury said that he is in favour to call May 26 all India protest day of struggling kisans. While stating that the central government continues to remain obstinate, the CPI(M) leader said that the talks with SKM should be resumed.

CPI(M) supports May 26 protest by farmers

Asking the Centre to repeal the farm laws and protect the "annadatas" becoming victims of the pandemic so that they can continue to produce food to feed the Indian people, Yechury said, "legalise MSP of C2+50 per cent as recommended by Swaminathan Commission."

12 Oppn parties back farmers’ May 26 protest call

12 major Opposition parties on Sunday extended support to Samyukta Kisan Morcha’s call for a countrywide protest on May 26, to mark the completion of six months of farmers’ stir against three central farm laws.

In a joint statement, the parties said, “We extend our support to the call given by the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) to observe a countrywide protest day on May 26 marking the completion of six months of the heroic peaceful Kisan struggle.”

Demanding immediate repeal of the contentious agriculture laws and legal entitlement to minimum support price (MSP) for crops as recommended by the Swaminathan Commission, they said the central government should “stop being obdurate and immediately resume talks with the SKM on these lines”.

The parties that joined hands for the farmers’ cause are Congress, JD(S), NCP, Trinamool Congress, Shiv Sena, JMM, JKPA, Samajwadi Party, RJD, DMK, CPI, and CPI(M).

The parties said they had written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi regarding this on May 12. “Repeal farm laws to protect lakhs of our annadatas becoming victims of the pandemic so that they can continue to produce food to feed the Indian people,” they wrote.

Slamming the BJP-led central government for not initiating any dialogue with the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) since January 22, Bharatiya Kisan Union (Rajewal) president Balbir Singh Rajewal on Saturday gave a call to every section of the society to register protest by putting up black flags on their houses, establishments, shops and vehicles on May 26.

Read the full joint statement here:

The impasse over the farm laws

The Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020 aims at freeing the farmers from the constraints of the state Agriculture Produce Market Committees whereby they would be able to sell their produce anywhere. Meanwhile, The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020 protects and empowers farmers to engage with processors, wholesalers, large retailers, exporters for farm services. The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020 specifies that the supply of foodstuffs including cereals, pulses, potato, edible oilseeds, and oils shall be regulated only under exceptional circumstances.

At present, the talks between the Union government and the farmers' unions have come to a standstill. This is owing to the fact that farm associations refused to agree to the Centre's proposal for suspending the implementation of the aforesaid legislation for one and a half years. The divide between the two sides further exacerbated on January 26 after the farmers' tractor rally turned violent resulting in 510 Delhi police personnel getting injured and extensive damage to public property. While the Supreme Court has stayed the implementation of the farm laws, a committee appointed by the apex court submitted its report pertaining to the legislation in a sealed cover on March 19. 

(Image: PTI, ANI)

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Published May 23rd, 2021 at 21:00 IST

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