ISLAMABAD: Indian farmers have issued a call for protest on January 16 against what they call the anti-farmer policies of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance government.
The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM), translated as the United Farmers' Front, is a coalition of more than 40 Indian farmers' unions. It has called for farmers across the country to observe an All-India Resistance Day on January 16, 2026.
The protests are against new laws, such as the VB-GRAMG Act, the Seeds Bill, and the Labour Codes. The farmers are demanding a legal minimum support price and loan waivers, with planned village-level meetings and pledges to escalate their protests.
Recent government legislation has been seen as favoring corporations, negatively impacting farmers' livelihoods, undermining federalism, and eroding worker rights, following the earlier repeal of farm laws.
The SKM plans to organize pledge ceremonies, public meetings, and large village gatherings across rural India to mobilize for intensified protests.
The call aims to build on past farmer movements, uniting farmers, workers, and citizens against policies perceived as detrimental to the agricultural sector and the working class.
The farmers reiterated their demand that Prime Minister Modi must shed his “authoritarian attitude” and “respect democratic principles of governance.”
Acts & bills
The VB-G RAM G Act (2025) replaced the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act by increasing the annual work guarantee to 125 days while shifting from a "demand-driven" right to a “budget-capped” mission.
It introduces a mandatory 60-day pause on public works during harvest seasons to prevent farm labor shortages and requires states to bear a higher share of the costs.
While the government promotes it as a modernized tool for rural infrastructure and AI-monitored efficiency, critics argue it weakens the legal right to employment by making funding dependent on central allocations rather than worker demand.
The government’s draft Seeds Bill 2025 is another reason for the planned protests.
The farmers fear it favors multinational corporations, threatens seed sovereignty by restricting traditional seed saving/exchange, excludes community seed keepers, and lacks accessible compensation for crop failure.
According to SKM, the Bill creates complex digital burdens and centralizes control, potentially increasing dependence on commercial suppliers and opening the door to genetically modified seeds.
Congress calls for multi-state campaign
The Indian National Congress on January 3 announced a 45-day nationwide campaign against the repeal of the Rural Employment Guarantee Act, citing the right to work and the authority of the traditional village council.
The campaign is already picking up pace in several states, with people congregating in large numbers.
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