The first national convention of Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM), an umbrella organisation of protesting farmers, that concluded on Friday has decided to go beyond the three farm laws and organise series of protests against the Centre's policies, including the National Monetisation Pipeline.

A resolution adopted at the convention said India is being handed over to big corporations and it will impact the livelihood of not just farmers, but workers, agriculture workers, students, youth, Dalits and Adivasis too.

The SKM has decided to hold a Bharat Bandh on September 25 and a massive rally against the BJP in Muzaffarnagar on September 5.

A resolution on privatisation said the SKM "strongly condemns and opposes the attempt of the RSS-BJP Government" to privatise several public sector and Government assets and handover it to the Corporates and MNCs. "These include Railways, power transmission lines, natural gas resources, telecom projects, food storage, insurance, banks and other valuable assets. These are the property of the people of India and have been built with their efforts and money. This will lead to massive rise in unemployment," the resolution said. It alleged that the RSS-BJP is continuing on its path of service to the corporates and MNCs while attacking the people. The convention pledged its support to all struggles against Corporatisation of India's natural resources and public sector wealth.

Various resolutions

Explaining about the resolutions, SKM leader and president of All India Kisan Sabha Ashok Dhawle said every section of the society is impacted by the policies of the Centre and the SKM decided to join hands with all other sections of people who are protesting against such policies. "We have supported the struggles of workers, agriculture workers, students and youth. We are trying to create a big United front against the RSS-BJP regime and against the Ambani-Adani corporations," Dhawle said. He added that the NMP was discussed by the convention. "Now our struggles are not limited against the three farm laws. It is now the fight to save India itself," Dhawle told BusinessLine .

Another resolution adopted at the session on "industrial workers and trade union struggles" the SKM said that the four Labour Codes undermine rights of industrial workers. It said the policies of the Centre has resulted in severe increase in prices of petrol, diesel, cooking gas and fertilizers and alleged that the Centre is moving to withdraw PDS rations and convert it to cash transfer scheme. "We support all struggles of the people on these issues,".

Another resolution added that the Centre has been forcing displacement of tribals to hand over forest and mineral wealth for corporate loot and slammed the failure to implement the Forest Rights Act, MGNREGA and the Land Acquisition Act. The convention also noted that the Centre is encouraging corporate take over of all small business by various measures. It said attacks on women an underprivileged sections of the society have increased. It urged the Centre to stop privatisation of health and education and distancing the Government from the reach of the poor.

A resolution on communalism alleged that there's a communal game plan by the RSS-BJP to attack minorities and create communal strife in order to remain in power. "Having miserably failed to solve problems of the people and having dedicatedly indulged in serving corporate interests, it is making desperate attempts to vitiate communal harmony and the democratic fabric of the country. This communal polarisation by BJP-RSS is a serious violation of the Preamble of our Constitution which is secular and democratic. This Convention pledges to unitedly fight the communal designs of these anti-people, communal forces," the resolution said.

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