Groundxero | 14th July, 2023

The National Coordination Committee of Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) demanded the Union Government to declare flood and land slide in Himachal Pradesh as National Calamity and give adequate compensation to all in the flood affected states; condemned the BJP government in Madhya Pradesh for facilitating timber mafia in plundering thousands of acres of forest at Burhanpur District; urged the members of
Parliament to not allow the enactment of the anti-people Forest Conservation (Amendment) Bill of the Narendra Modi Government.

Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM), in a press statement, expressed grief and shared the sorrow of all people who have been severely affected by heavy rain leading to landslides, water logging and floods in the various States, especially in North India and caused death of more than 100 people till now.

The National Coordination Committee of SKM has resolved to demand from the Union Government immediate and effective relief work in all states and union territories facing the present unprecedented natural calamity, including  Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Haryana, Uttarakhand, Delhi, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Assam. It draws the attention of the Union Government that people are suffering due to the flood and continuous heavy rain, with farmers being most affected since they have lost crops and cattle.

SKM noted with dismay and aid that it is unfortunate that there is no effective insurance coverage for agriculture and animal husbandry sector due to the collapse of the PMFBY scheme in many of the affected states. It demanded that the administration should ensure effective and immediate relief work. It has demanded that the Union Government and the respective State Governments to provide compensation of Rs. 10 lakhs to the families who have lost lives of their members, Rs. 50,000 per acre for crop loss and Rs. 1 lakh per bovine cattle.

SKM had appealed to all its constituent organisations in the affected states to ensure that their activists participate in relief work and help all victims.

The platform of the farmers’ unions also condemned the BJP Government in Madhya Pradesh for facilitating timber mafia in plundering 15000 acres of forest at Burhanpur district of the state. It urged the Shivraj Chahan government to stop the repression unleashed on innocent tribal families for resisting the forest plunder and issuing of the unlawful order of expulsion for one year to prevent Madhuri, the leader of Jagrit Adivasi Dalit Sangathan from entering Burhanpur district. It demanded that the Chief Minister immediately withdraw the undemocratic and shameful order.

The press statement stated that SKM strongly opposes the anti-people amendments made in the Forest Conservation (Amendment) Bill expected to be tabled in the Monsoon Session of Parliament. It said that the purpose of the bill is to facilitate corporate takeover of the forest resources for profiteering and deny the rights of the local communities especially Adivasis over forest and forest resources. SKM urged members of Parliament to not allow the enactment of this Bill.

SKM condemned the Delhi Police and Union Government for breach of agreement made during the historic farmers struggle to withdraw all the cases against the farmers by sending notice to the farmers in the case of FIR 534/2021 of the Mundaka Police Station.