A public meeting was organised on 12 January 2024, on the occasion the 26th Shaheed Kisan Memorial by the Kisan Sangharsh Samiti in Multai village of Madhya Pradesh. Workers and farmers from the area, participated in the meeting. The problems currently facing the farmers and their demands were discussed in the meeting.
In 1998, farmers suffered huge losses to their crops because of a natural disaster. Farmers had started a movement demanding compensation. When the movement gained momentum, the government opened fire on the farmers killing 24 and injuring 150 of them. Cases were filed against 250 people. A public meeting is organised every year in Multai village in memory of the martyred farmers.
Addressing the gathering, Kisan Sangharsh Samiti leader Dr. Sunilam said that even after 76 years of independence, discrimination, looting and oppression of farmers continues. He further stressed that farmers will have to establish their own political power and solve their problems through struggle.
Other speakers said that a movement will be launched in every village of Multai and a large number of activists of the movement will attend the national conference of farmers being held in Amritsar on March 3. Kisan Panchayats will be organised in one of the villages on the 12th of every month,while the online Kisan Mahapanchayat will also continue.
Demands were raised in the meeting, which included implementation of the guaranteed MSP on purchase of all crops, complete loan waiver for all farmers, provision of government job to one member of every farmer family and a ban on acquisition of agricultural land.
Regarding the arrangement of irrigation water in Multai assembly constituency, they demanded that irrigation water should be provided to various villages from the Wardha Reservoir Project, Chandora and Wardha Dam Project and to Paramandal, Bhilai, Mohi Chandora and Valni through pipelines.
Towards the end of the meeting, 30 promising students were given awards in memory of martyred farmers and 15 farmer leaders were honoured.