The Samyukta Kisan Morcha has declared that farmers will stage gherao protests in front of FCI offices across the country in the latest development in the ongoing farmers' movement. A memorandum letter in the name of the Minister of Consumer Affairs will be issued to mark this day as FCI Bachao Divas, according to SKM.
The "FCI Bachao Divas" is a demonstration against the government's proposals to eliminate the Minimum Support Price (MSP) and the Public Distribution System (PDS) (PDS). “For a number of years, the FCI budget has been cut. The FCI recently updated the guidelines for seed procurement,” according to the SKM.
SKM, a coalition of 40 farmer unions, has also announced that it will march to parliament in the first half of May. SKM has declared a march on parliament in the first two weeks of May. This march would include women, Dalit-Adivasi-Bahujans, unemployed youth, and people from all walks of life, in addition to farmers and laborers. It said in a statement that the initiative would be "absolutely calm."
The SKM will arrive in their vehicles at the three major protest sites - Singhu, Tikri, and Ghazipur to join the "paidal" (on foot) march to parliament. The march's date is yet to be determined. Beginning April 1, farmers' unions would escalate their opposition to the rules. They've announced that on April 10, they'll shut down the KMP expressway for 24 hours.
Aside from farmers and workers, this march will involve women, Dalits, Adivasis, Bhujans, unemployed youth, and people from all walks of life. It also claimed that the march would take place in a respectful manner. The march to parliament was expected to take place on February 1, Budget Day. It was, however, postponed due to unanticipated violence that occurred during the farmers' Republic Day tractor parade.
Farmer leaders have also declared that on April 10, they would shut down the Kundli-Manesar-Palwal expressway for 24 hours. "On April 10, we will block the KMP expressway for 24 hours, from 11 a.m. on April 10 to 11 a.m. the next day, because the government has not listened to us," says the group. It has been dozing off. Another farmer leader said, "This is to wake up the nation." Ambedkar Jayanti and Labor Day will be commemorated with different events.
