Srinagar, 16-02-2024 : In defiance of imposed restrictions by the UT administration, a massive gathering of industry workers and farmers converged at Maharaja Hari Singh Park today, unleashing a collective outcry against what they perceive as the anti-worker, anti-farmer, and anti-people policies of both the Central and UT governments of Jammu & Kashmir. Led by CITU President Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami, the demonstration resonated with serious concerns over the persistent hardships endured by farmers, workers, and the general populace amidst soaring unemployment, escalating prices of essential commodities, and mounting indebtedness plaguing the agrarian sector.
Tarigami denounced the dilution of hard-fought worker rights through pro-employer labor codes, ostensibly designed to streamline business operations. He lamented the erosion of fundamental labor standards, citing the Indian government’s deviation from ratified conventions, including the pivotal mandate to limit work hours to eight, now extended to twelve-hour shifts. Moreover, he criticized the government’s pivot towards privatization, epitomized by the National Monetization Pipeline project, which entails the transfer of public sector assets to corporate entities, circumventing the interests of ordinary citizens.
Highlighting staggering figures of bank loan write-offs amounting to Rs. 25.75 lakh crores over the past decade, Tarigami underscored the glaring disparity in the government’s treatment of corporate debts versus those incurred by farmers. He voiced unequivocal support for the ongoing farmers’ agitation, urging immediate redressal of their grievances and emphasizing the need for assured Minimum Support Prices (MSP) for crops like J&K Basmati.
Kishore Kumar, President of J&K Kisan Tehrik, lauded the unprecedented resilience of the Samyukta Kisan Morcha, whose relentless pressure forced the government to repeal all three contentious farm laws. However, he lamented the government’s failure to uphold written assurances on MSP and the Electricity (Amendment) bill, urging concrete measures to fulfill promises of income augmentation for farmers, particularly in J&K.
Other speakers at the event, including Hari Singh, Regional Secretary of CPI(M), Om Parkash, Working President of State CITU, and representatives from J&K Kisan Tehrik, echoed sentiments of solidarity and demanded tangible action to address the pressing concerns of workers and farmers alike.
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