Newmai News Network
Imphal | January 3
Members of the Left wing's peasants’ organisations on Sunday staged a hunger strike in Imphal against the three farm laws passed by the Parliament in September last year.
The protest staged at Irawat Bhavan, Imphal, was participated by leaders and members of Manipur Loumee Marup (MLM - affiliated to AIKS), Manipur Loumee Lup (MLL- affiliated to AIKS, Ajay Bhavan), Samyukta Kisan Sabha(SKS) and All India Agragami Kisan Samitee ( AIAKS).
Representatives of North East Forum of International Solidarity (NEFIS) also joined the protest that was staged in solidarity to the agitating farmers from different parts of the country.
During the protest, leaders of the peasants’ bodies announced that they would extend their support to the farmers of the country currently staging protests at the border areas of the national capital, New Delhi. Different forms of protests will be launched in the state too until and unless the three laws are scraped, they added.
Talking to reporters at the protest site, Secretary Haobijam Ibobi of MLL announced that peasants of the state are ready to launch a series of protests against the three laws.
He claimed that none of the peasants in the state will accept the laws which were first promulgated as ordinance in June 2020 before the bills were passed without any discussion in the house of the Parliament.
He alleged that the BJP-led NDA government had passed the three farm laws taking advantage of majority in the Parliament.
He said that the laws were passed not in the interest of the peasants of the country but for the benefits of the corporates.
"The new laws tantamount to snatch the rights of the peasants and the minimum support price which the peasants had been enjoying for decades," he said.
"The government at the Centre drafted the bills to serve the corporate who are their masters. The BJP-led NDA government at the Centre is always in favour of the corporate world to get huge electoral bonds from them to purchase the electorates during elections," he also alleged.
MLM leader Sarat Salam while highlighting the protest of the farmers and peasants since August said that farmers of the country are now united with a strong determination to fight against the laws.
He alleged that more than 11 thousand peasants committed suicide during the year 2019 and urged farmers and peasants of the state to extend their support by participating in the protest demanding repeal of the controversial laws.
Khumukcham Chinglen as representative of NEFIS alleged that the three laws were not only against the interest of the farmers and peasants of the country but also against the entire population of the country.
Asserting that India is in 104th rank of the world hunger list, he said that the hunger strike staged today is a symbolic support to the farmers of the country struggling for their rights and future of the people of the country.
Many other leaders including CPI Manipur state council secretary L Sotinkumar, CPI (M) secretary Kshetrimayum Santa, MLM president Yumlembam Jogendra, SKS leader N Ratan and AIAKS leader M Nabakishore talked on future impact of the laws during the protest.
