The Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) and Central Trade Unions (CTU) called for a Bharat Grameen Bandh (India Rural Strike) and industrial strike for 16 Feb (SDW Vol. 2 Issue 5, Story 7). According to SKM and CTU, 200M participated.. SKM called the strike to press for their demand for Minimum Support Price (MSP) as per the Swaminathan Commission formula, a one-time loan waiver from all banks and Non-Banking Financial Companies, scrapping the Electricity Amendment Act, and the suspension of Union Minister for Home Ajay Mishra — who allegedly protected his son Ashish Mishra in the Lakhimpur Kheri Massacre — from the Indian government. The CTU joined the call to scrap four labor codes and set a minimum salary of $313 per month for workers to combat the impact of inflation. Large-scale protests were observed in Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Assam, Haryana, Panjab, and Gujarat. Due to the school examination schedule, farmers and workers from West Bengal observed the strike on 13 Feb. However, the Dilli Chalo (March to Delhi) in Panjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh, the confrontation with the security forces on the borders of Panjab and Haryana, even Uttar Pradesh and Delhi, robbed the massive protest of its luster. SKM has planned to intensify its agitation. For now, as the farmers prepare to break barricades and march to Delhi on 21 Feb, SKM has given a call to protest in all BJP and the National Democratic Alliance constituencies all across the country.
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