New Delhi: The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM), which had led the 2020-21 protest against the now-scrapped central farm laws, has extended support to the ongoing Cockroach Janta Party (CJP)-led sit-in against alleged exam irregularities and announced that its delegation will join the agitation at Jantar Mantar Sunday.
In a letter addressed to CJP president Abhijit Dipke, SKM said on Sunday that it stood in “wholehearted solidarity” with the peaceful democratic protest and with the students, youth and their families participating in it.
The farmers’ body said its delegation would visit the protest site at 11am Sunday in support of the protesting students and climate activist Sonam Wangchuk, who, along with several students, has been on an indefinite hunger strike demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
The SKM also expressed its “deepest sympathies” to students and families affected by what it described as the Modi government’s “chronic paper leaks and examination mismanagement”.
“Every student has the right to a transparent, fair and credible system of education and examinations. Ensuring accountability in this regard is the responsibility of the government,” the letter said.
The farmers’ body said its National Council had June 17 adopted a resolution supporting the student movement demanding the resignation of Pradhan and opposing what it termed the “scam culture” in the education sector under the BJP-led NDA government.
It also noted that it had earlier condemned the ban on CJP’s social media accounts.
“The students and the youth are also the children of farmers and the future of India. Samyukta Kisan Morcha firmly believes that the struggles of students and youth are the struggle of farmers,” the letter said, adding that it was the moral responsibility of farmers and democratic organisations to stand with young people fighting for their education, future and justice.
The SKM said it hoped its delegation’s Sunday visit would strengthen the democratic movement and compel the government to engage in meaningful dialogue and take “necessary actions beginning with the resignation of the Education Minister”.
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In a press statement, the SKM also appealed to students, youth, farmers, workers and common citizens to join the protest at Jantar Mantar and support the demand for accountability from the government.
The SKM, a conglomerate of over three dozen farmer bodies, most of them from Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, had led the sit-in on Delhi’s borders against the three central farm laws in 2020-2021. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had in November 2021 announced the repeal of three controversial farm laws after a year of protests.