New Delhi: An influential farmers’ body has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi accusing his government of failing to fulfil promises it made after the 2020-21 farmers’ protests. It has also accused state BJP governments of repressing peaceful protests by farmers.The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM), an umbrella body of farmers’ unions, urged the prime minister in their letter dated Tuesday (February 13) “to take sympathy on the plight of farmers” in the face of what they said was a corporate threat backed by Union government policies.The SKM was at the forefront of the protests in 2020-21.Although various farmers’ groups are currently marching to Delhi demanding assured prices for their crops and debt waivers (among other things), the SKM is reportedly undecided on whether to formally join the latest protest.It has, however, echoed the demands of groups that are on their way to Delhi and have decried the police action against them.“We observe with deep regret that instead of solving these problems, your government has failed to form and conduct the committee to look into all these issues and resolve them in a time bound manner,” the SKM said in its letter to Modi.After it repealed the controversial farm laws – the enactment of which was the major trigger for the past farmers’ protest – in 2021, the Union government had promised to form a committee of farmers and officials to find ways to ensure minimum support prices for all produce.The SKM’s letter also blamed the Modi government of being hesitant to engage in talks with it, as well as the Union, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh governments – all controlled by the BJP – of “inflict[ing] an atmosphere of terror on common farmers” by “resort[ing] to repressive measures on peaceful protests [by] farmers”.“We would like to make clear that all these three measures are unacceptable in responsible governance,” the letter continued to say.“We strongly protest the repression unleashed on farmers today at [the] Punjab border [by] unleashing lathi charge, rubber bullet and tear gas shelling, making many injured,” the SKM added.Police in Haryana fired tear gas at protesting farmers earlier on Tuesday.Referring to the police action, the SKM went on to say that the farmers’ movement in India was “united and single minded and will resist any such act of authoritarianism and excessive use of state power”.Other demands the SKM brought up were to not raise the electricity tariff, 300 units’ worth free electricity supply for “farming and for domestic use and shops”, crop insurance payable for damage to each plot of land and a Rs 10,000 hike in monthly pensions.It also referred to a demand to prosecute and incarcerate BJP MP Ajay Mishra Teni, who some farmers have accused of being a “chief conspirator” behind an incident in 2021, where his son and others allegedly mowed to death four farmers protesting in Uttar Pradesh.“As Prime Minister of India we urge you to take sympathy on the plight of farmers in the face of severe onslaught of the corporate intervention in agriculture actively supported by the Union Budgets and departmental actions,” it concluded its letter by saying.The SKM’s full letter is reproduced below.§Samyukta Kisan Morcha- (SKM)13th February 2024, New DelhiLetter to the Prime MinisterTo,Narendra Modi ji,Hon’ble Prime Minister of IndiaNorth Block, New Delhi, Govt of IndiaSubject: Failure to Fulfill Promises to Farmers and Repression Let Loose on Farmers Protest in Punjab – Haryana Border. Kisan Movement will resist united and single minded any act of authoritarianism and excessive use of state powerSir,We write to you once again on the eve of our All India call for an Industrial / Sectoral Strike and Grameen Bharat Bandh on February 16, 2024 in support of the 21 point demand charter of farmers and workers in the hope that your government will see reason to address and solve the problems you had promised to SKM on Dec 9, 2021.As a reminder we are briefing for your reference on these issues. They are MSP for all crops at Swaminathan formula of C2+50% with legal guarantee of procurement; debt waiver with reduction in input costs; no raise in electricity tariff and no to smart metres as per the new electricity bill; free 300 units electricity for farming and for domestic use and shops; comprehensive crop insurance payable for damage to each plot of land; punishment to Guilty of Lakhimpur carnage including sending main accused Ajay Misra Teni to jail; hike in pensions to Rs 10,000 per month and others.We observe with deep regret that in place of solving these problemsA. Your government has failed to form and conduct the committee to look into all these issues and resolve them in a time bound manner.B. Your ministers have been hesitant to talk with SKM while more interested to talk with other platforms to project that the farmers’ movement is divided in order to escape from your constitutional responsibility of solving the problems that distress the farmers.C. Your govt and that of Haryana and UP led by the BJP have resorted to repressive measures on peaceful protests of farmers and inflict an atmosphere of terror on common farmers.We would like to make clear that all these three measures are unacceptable in responsible governance.We strongly protest the repression unleashed on farmers today at Punjab border unleashing lathi charge, rubber bullet and tear gas shelling making many injured and want to clear that the Kisan Movement in India is united and single minded and will resist any such act of authoritarianism and excessive use of state power.As Prime Minister of India we urge you to take sympathy on the plight of farmers in the face of severe onslaught of the corporate intervention in agriculture actively supported by the Union Budgets and departmental actions.we urge you to immediately address the demands raised by SKM, initiate discussion in order to resolve the demands of the farmers of the country.For Secretariat of SKM-Released by –Media Cell | Samyukta Kisan Morcha Contact: samyuktkisanmorcha@gmail.com9447125209, 9830052766*