Farmer leader VM Singh to start new farmer protest under UP Kisan Mazdoor Morcha banner

Lucknow: Farmer leader V.M. Singh, who had withdrawn from the ongoing farmers' agitation last month, has returned to protest against the farm laws under the banner of Uttar Pradesh Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (UPKMM).

The new group has come to change the form of the ongoing farmers' agitation demanding repeal of three new laws and a new law on minimum support price (MSP), the group's leaders said.

Singh said that UPKMM planned to send five messages every day from each of the villages in the state to the Prime Minister.

The UPKMM was formed on February 21, comprising 22 different farmers' organisations.

"I never said that I was withdrawing from the ongoing agitation. The agitation will remain the same, but we are not with anyone whosoever is responsible for the Republic Day violence,"

"We have now changed gears and our demands will be for Uttar Pradesh. The government should hold talks with us for farmers of UP. In fact, we have demanded talks. We have promised that we will have no 'yes' or 'no' from our side and will hold talks on every clause one by one. Either they make us understand or they understand our point of view," Singh added

The UPKMM said that there are about 86 per cent small and marginal farmers across the country who have no means to come to Delhi for protests and are also facing issues due to rise in cost of production of their crops.

The statement from UPKMM said that "Each day, five farmers from a village will sit on a relay hunger strike from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m". The statement added that the relay fast will be for the rollback of three farm laws and a new law on MSP, and will go on till the time every grain of wheat is not purchased on MSP.

The UPKMM has also planned that farmers will collect a handful of grain from every house and will hold a 'bhandara' (community kitchen) every week so that they bond with each other.

(From IANS with edits)