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Samyukt Kisan Morcha to meet all MPs, Ministers to campaign against trade pacts

The SKM maintains that such treaties are not in the interest of agricultural producers and farm workers in the country

Samyukt Kisan Morcha to meet all MPs, Ministers to campaign against trade pacts

On Monday, August 3, 2026, the senior leaders of the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) announced they will meet all MPs and Ministers to campaign against free trade agreements. These pacts include those signed with the United Kingdom, European Union, and the ongoing deal with the United States. SKM, the umbrella organization for several farmer groups, urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to engage with them before finalizing these deals.

The SKM leader, P Krishnaprasad, emphasized during a press conference that such agreements are detrimental to agricultural producers and farm workers in the country.

At a recent convention, the SKM adopted a demand charter. The leaders stated that mass delegations of SKM members will meet MPs and Ministers on August 17, 2026, to present the charter and demand favorable action on seven principal demands. These demands include repealing all free trade agreements, implementing a legal minimum support price as per the MS Swaminathan Commission report, and guaranteeing procurement for all crops.

Other demands encompass a comprehensive loan waiver to alleviate rural indebtedness and prevent peasant and daily worker suicides, providing ₹25 lakh in compensation to each victim's family, scrapping the four Labour Codes and minimum wage of ₹31,000 for all workers, restoring the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) with a commitment to 200 days of work and a wage of ₹700, withdrawing the Electricity Privatisation Bill 2025, Seed Bill 2025, and the NFSA Amendment Bill, and protecting land rights based on the LARR Act 2013, FRA 2006 for tribals and non-tribal forest dwellers, and PESA 1996 on self-governance and tribal self-rule.

The SKM leaders criticized the duopoly of Adani and Leap India in FCI silos, where they control 77.5% of grains, along with the reduction of free grains under the Food Security Act. Despite not waiving any farmer's dues, corporate debts amounting to ₹16 lakh crores have been written off.

Written by urgent.news from The Hindu's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.

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