Fight Against Covid, Not With Farmers: SKM To Govt

FILE PHOTO: Women farmers attend a protest against farm laws on the occasion of International Women's Day at Bahadurgarh, near the Haryana-Delhi border

The Samyukta Kisan Morcha, an umbrella body of farmer unions, on Sunday said the government should fight against the coronavirus and not with farmers and reiterated that they will end the agitation only if their demands are met.

It also urged the government to set up vaccination centres at the farmers’ protest sites, and provide necessary equipment and instructions to them for protection from the virus.

According to a statement, the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) said when the pandemic is again on the rise, the central government should deal with this situation with immediate effect while worrying about the farmers and labourers which they had “ignored” when the lockdown was imposed last year.

“From Delhi’s borders to other parts of the country, farmers’ protests will end only when the demands of the farmers are met. The government should also make every effort for the health and social security of migrant labourers, so that they do not face any problem. If the government is really concerned about the farmers and labourers and the general public, then they should accept the demands of the farmers,” the statement said.

“Farmers are already committing suicide (because of) the exploitative policies of the government. In this movement too, more than 375 farmers have died,” the SKM claimed.

The SKM accused the BJP of being busy with “spreading its own propaganda” and said, “Now, the government should accept the demands of the farmers. The government should fight COVID-19 and rising pandemic instead of fighting with hardworking farmers and labourers.”