SKM Demands Himachal Disaster be Declared ‘Natural Calamity’

The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) has urged the Centre to declare the Himachal Pradesh floods and landslides as a “national calamity” and demanded “immediate and effective relief work and adequate compensation” in all the flood-affected states.

At a meeting in Delhi on Wednesday, the SKM expressed grief and shared the sorrow of all people severely affected by heavy rains, landslides, waterlogging and floods in various states, which have killed more than 100.

Himachal is the worst affected state and 80 people have died and properties worth hundreds of crores have been destroyed.

In a press release, the SKM urged the Centre to “declare the floods and landslides in Himachal as national calamity and rush rescue and relief to the people”.

At the meeting, the SKM’s National Coordination Committee “demanded immediate and effective relief work in all states and Union Territories facing the unprecedented natural calamity”, including Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Haryana, Uttarakhand, Delhi, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Assam.

“The SKM draws the attention of the Union government that people are suffering due to the floods and continuous heavy rains with farmers being most affected since they have lost crops and cattle,” the press statement read.

The Morcha demanded Rs 10 lakh compensation each for the families who have lost their members, Rs 50,000 per acre for crop loss, Rs 1 lakh per bovine cattle and Rs 1 lakh per small ruminant.

“The SKM notes with dismay that it is unfortunate that there is no effective insurance coverage for the agriculture and animal husbandry sector due to the collapse of the PMFBY in many of the affected states. The administration should ensure effective and immediate relief work.”

SKM also appealed to all its constituent organisations in the affected states to ensure that their activists participate in relief work and help all victims.

The farmers’ body also condemned the Shivraj Singh Chouhan government for “facilitating the timber mafia to plunder 15,000 acres of forest in the Burhanpur district, the repression unleashed on innocent tribal families for resisting the forest plunder”.

The SKM alleged that the Madhya Pradesh government issued the “strange and unlawful order” barring Jagrit Adivasi Dalit Sangathan leader Madhuri from entering the Burhanpur district.

“Such authoritarian and undemocratic measures are highly condemnable and the SKM demands that the chief minister immediately withdraw the shameful order.”

SKM also strongly opposes the “anti-people Forest Conservation (Amendment) Bill, 2023, expected to be tabled in the ongoing Monsoon Session of Parliament.

The Bill’s “purpose is to facilitate the corporate takeover of forest resources for profiteering and deny the rights of local communities, especially Adivasis, over forests and their resources, the SKM said and demanded that members of Parliament not allow its passage.

The leaders also condemned Delhi Police and the Centre for “breaching the agreement made during the historic farmers’ struggle to withdraw all the cases against farmers by sending a notice to them in the FIR 534/2021 lodged at the Mundaka Police Station.