Bengaluru: The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) has announced a nationwide farmers’ rally in Delhi on August 25 to press for key demands including a legally guaranteed Minimum Support Price (MSP). The decision was taken during the organization’s National Executive Council meeting and a state-level farmers’ conference, reported The New Indian Express.
Highlighting key concerns, Kuruburu Shanthakumar, president of the State Sugarcane Growers Association, said: “One of our core demands is a guaranteed MSP for all farmers. Currently, the MSP is announced in name only—most farmers do not receive it. This is a grave injustice.”
Farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal, who previously staged a 130-day hunger strike demanding MSP legislation, warned that the proposed trade deal with the US could severely undermine Indian agriculture. “This is less an agreement and more an imposition,” he said. “The government plans to import GM crops like genetically-modified maize and soybean, while weakening the local procurement system. Such moves threaten farmers, public health, and food security.”
Dallewal also criticized potential imports of poultry and dairy products, arguing they could harm domestic producers and clash with India’s cultural and religious values, particularly due to non-vegetarian dairy practices in exporting countries.
The rally is expected to bring together thousands of farmers from across India to demand stronger protections and policy changes in favor of agricultural self-reliance and fair pricing.
