Below we publish the joint press statement issued by Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) and Joint Platform of Central Trade Unions/ Federations/Associations released at the press conference held on January 17, 2024 in New Delhi.

THE Samyukta Kisan Morcha and the Joint Platform of Central Trade Unions /Federations/Associations had a series of meetings to review the joint and independent campaign and actions called by the first ever joint all India convention of workers and farmers on August 24, 2023 at New Delhi.

SKM and CTUs noted with concern the current developments of the ruling corporate communal nexus, shamelessly siphoning off the national assets and finances to a handful of private corporates and paralySing and capturing all the institutions of Indian democracy.

This government is continuously carrying on barbarous onslaughts on the lives and livelihood of the toiling people as a whole and aggressively pursuing anti-worker, anti-farmer and anti-people measures through various legislations, executive orders and policy drives. It is unconstitutionally denying the rights of elected state governments. It is suppressing all democratic assertions of various sections of the people and all voices of dissent. It is continuing with the dangerous game plan of communalising the polity and constitutional institutions, utterly misusing and abusing administrative authorities and agencies. The union government has been relentlessly attacking freedom of media and shamelessly protecting the criminals accused of sexual harassment by the victims thus eroding the trust of the people on law and order.    

We have noted that various sections of the workers and farmers and other sections of the people are already on struggles in numerous fronts against the disastrous policies of the central government. In this background the SKM and CTUs reiterated the resolve to take up unitedly the historic responsibility to counter and defeat the communal corporate nexus through intensified campaign among the people and intensified struggle till the above demands are achieved.

Towards this, in continuation of the joint and coordinated actions being organised since November 2020, the joint platform of central trade unions, federations/associations and SKM are jointly in action at the grassroots.

The CTUs, federations/associations support the call already given by the SKM for a tractor/vehicle parade at the district headquarters on January 26, 2024.

The workers and farmers are jointly carrying on Jana Jagaran Campaign of house-to-house visits from January 10-20, 2024 in all the villages across India to distribute leaflets, demand charter and ensure massive participation in the struggles.

All these jan-sampark (mass contact) actions to lead for nationwide mobilisation against the anti-worker, anti-farmer, anti-national policies being pursued with corporate communal nexus.

Therefore the SKM and CTUs/federations/associations call for countrywide massive mobilisations at different levels along with the industrial/sectoral strike and grameen bandh on February 16, 2024 against the anti-worker, anti-farmer and anti-national policies of the central government. The sectoral movements and agitations are going on including strikes. We request them to synchronise their agitations with February 16 nation-wide programme adopted unitedly by the SKM and CTUs.

We appeal to all the likeminded movements of students, youth, teachers, women, the social movements and those in the field of art, culture, literature to extend support to the joint campaigns and culminating actions of the Samyukta Kisan Morcha and the platform of Central Trade Unions, Federations/Associations on February 16.

• Call to resist and decisively defeat the destructive, divisive and authoritarian policy-regime of the corporate communal nexus and replacing them with pro-worker, pro-farmer, pro-people policies.

• Call to intensify struggle until we achieve the demands of MSP at C2+50 per cent for all crops with guaranteed procurement, dismissal of Ajay Mishra Teni and registration of case on him;  comprehensive loan waiver to small and middle farm households for freedom from indebtedness, minimum wage of Rs 26,000 per month for workers, repeal of four labour codes, repeal the draconian amendments made to IPC/CrPC, guaranteed employment as fundamental right, no privatisation of PSUs including railway, defence, electricity, coal, oil, steel, telecom, posts, transport, airports, port and dock, banks, insurance etc, no to privatisation of education and health, no contractualisation of jobs, scrapping of fixed term employment, strengthen MGNREGS with 200 days work per person per year and Rs 600 as daily wage, restore old pension scheme, pension and social security to all in formal and informal economy, scrapping of Sec104 of newly introduced BNS, welfare boards for all categories of unorganised workers on the lines of Construction Workers Welfare Board, implement the LARR Act 2013 (Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013) among others.

• Counter the heinous religious fanaticism and jingoism to bring the real livelihood issues of the people back to the national agenda

• Save the basic principles of democracy, federalism, secularism and socialism enshrined in the Constitution of India

We call upon the workers, farmers, agricultural workers, women, youth, students, teachers, advocates, civil society and all other sections of the people to join this massive peoples’ action to resist and defeat the anti-people, anti-national authoritarian policy-regime.

We request all secular and democratic forces to support this struggle to ‘Save the People, Save the Democracy and Our Nation’!