Yogendra Yadav resigns from SKM coordination committee

New Delhi, Sep 04: Social activist Yogendra Yadav has resigned from the Samyukta Kisan Morcha coordination committee but said he will remain a "soldier" of the farmers' collective. The SKM made Yadav's resignation letter public at a press conference at Gurudwara Rakabganj.

In the letter, Yadav has said he will no longer be in the coordination committee of the SKM -- an umbrella body of about 40 farmer unions -- which had spearheaded the farmers' movement last year. "I will no longer be able to shoulder the responsibility of being the member of SKM's coordination committee. It is important that the energies of all movements and opposition political parties be joined to fight against the anti-farmer Modi government. So, for this I am in touch with other movements as well apart from farmers' movement.

"Seeing my this priority, it will not be possible for me to do justice with the responsibility of SKM coordination committee," Yadav said in his letter to SKM. He appealed to the farmers' body to relieve him of his responsibilities. He stressed that being a member of "Jai Kisan Andolan", he will always be the "soldier" of the SKM.

He said Jai Kisan Andolan President Avik Saha will be available to shoulder these responsibilities in his place. In October last year, the SKM had suspended Yadav from the farmers' body for a month after he had met the bereaved families of the BJP workers killed during the Lakhimpur violence.

The press conference was organised after a national general body meeting of the SKM which was attended by farmer leaders Darshan Pal, Rakesh Tikait, Hannan Mollah among others. The SKM also decided to organise rallies in each state and submit memorandums of demands to governors of those state on November 26, a SKM statement said.

The SKM will observe a black day on October 3 in protest against Lakhimapur Kheri massacre that has happened on the same day in 2021. "It should be observed as black day at every place in the country and effigy of the central government will be burnt," the statement said.