Tue Nov 26 17:14:18 UTC 2024: ## Nationwide Protests in India Demand Farmer and Worker Rights
**New Delhi, November 27, 2024** – Central Trade Unions (CTUs) and the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM), representing nearly 500 farmers’ organizations, staged nationwide protests yesterday demanding improved minimum support prices (MSPs) for agricultural produce and the repeal of four Labour Codes. The groups presented a 12-point charter of demands to President Droupadi Murmu, urging her to intervene and ensure the government fulfills its promises to farmers and workers.
Key demands include the implementation of the Swaminathan formula for MSP calculation, legally guaranteed procurement for all crops, and the repeal of the Labour Codes to end contractualization. The charter also calls for a national minimum wage of ₹26,000 per month, a ₹10,000 monthly pension, and comprehensive social security benefits for all workers. A comprehensive loan waiver for farmers, low-interest credit facilities, and an end to the privatization of public sector undertakings are also among the demands.
Further demands include scrapping the Digital Agriculture Mission, the National Cooperation Policy, and agreements between the Indian Council of Agricultural Research and multinational corporations. The protesters also called for an end to indiscriminate land acquisition, implementation of existing land acquisition and forest rights acts, and guaranteed employment with a minimum of 200 days of work at ₹600 per day under the MGNREGA scheme, expanded to urban areas. Other demands included a public sector crop and cattle insurance scheme, strengthening the public distribution system, improved healthcare and education, and a ₹10,000 monthly pension for all at age 60. Finally, the protestors called for stricter laws to combat communal divisions and violence against women and children.
First Piper 