BY TC News Desk
Agartala, 29th January 2024: The Sanyukta Kisan Morcha, a joint platform of farmers’ organizations, has announced a nationwide strike on February 16 to press for their 22-point demand, which includes reducing the prices of essential commodities, abolishing GST on food grains, medicines and agricultural products, and scrapping the controversial National Education Policy 2020 and Electricity Bill 2022.
The leader of the Sanyukta Kisan Morcha, Pabitra Kar, held a press conference at the office of the All India Krishak Sabha state committee at Paradise Chowmuhani in the capital city of Agartala on Monday. He said that the 22-point demand was adopted at the All India Convention of Workers and Farmers in Delhi on August 24 last year, but the Narendra Modi-led government has not taken any steps to implement it.
He said that the central trade unions have extended their support to the farmers’ movement, and that vehicle parades were held in 500 districts of the country on January 26 to show their solidarity. However, the government has remained indifferent to the plight of the farmers, who have been protesting at the borders of Delhi since November 26 against the three farm laws passed by the Parliament.
He said that the farmers have decided to intensify their agitation by calling for a rural India shutdown on February 16, in which all government offices, banks, schools and colleges will be closed. He said that the strike will be a peaceful and democratic protest against the “undeclared torture” of the Modi government, which has failed to address the issues of the farmers and the workers.
He said that the state committee of the Sanyukta Kisan Morcha and the trade unions will hold a meeting by January 31 to finalize the details of the strike, and that the leaders of the 23 subdivisions of the state will coordinate the implementation of the program. He said that the campaign will continue with various programs from February 1 to February 12, such as rallies, demonstrations, public meetings and cultural events.
CITU State President Manik Dey and other leaders of the farmers’ and workers’ organizations were also present at the press conference.
