Photo Source: ANI
President Murmu declines meeting with SKM delegation citing time constraints
Daljeet Kaur
New Delhi, January 6, 2025: President Droupadi Murmu has declined a meeting with representatives of the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM), citing paucity of time.
In a letter President Murmu wrote on December 25, a delegation of SKM comprising 8 members has sought an appointment with her.
"Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) appreciates the President of India, Shrimati Droupadi Murmu for considering its request for an appointment and giving a written response. However, SKM expresses its deep regret that the President could not accede to meet the farmers’ delegation due to paucity of time. SKM expects review on this crucial request for her intervention since Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Supreme Court are so far unable to resolve the impasse and to take constructive steps to save the life of the farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal fasting for the last 41 days," issued SKM.
"Being the head of the State of India, she has the responsibility to help the constitutional institutions of the Executive and the Judiciary to adhere to the time tested democratic principles of governance, hold discussions with the farmers on struggle and ensure harmonious solution to their severe sufferings including no remunerative price to their crops, increasing cost of production, widespread indebtedness, peasant suicide, acute unemployment and footless distress migration originated out of the Neo-liberal reforms by the successive Union Governments that resulted in the current acute agrarian crisis," the farmer organisation further added.
"We hope, the President, Shrimati Droupadi Murmu will consider the repeated request in the context of the grave situation faced by the farmers who have been wasting no time - day or night- in producing food for the entire citizens including those taking the pain to discharge their statutory obligations to govern the State," they added.