The Samkyukt Kisan Morcha will gather today at the Delhi-Singhu border to take a ‘official decision’ on calling off their year-long protest against farm legislation. It was announced on Wednesday that a compromise had been achieved on the Centre’s amended new proposal on their pending demands.
The administration said there was no rationale for the agitation to continue in view of the concessions provided in the revised proposal released Wednesday, and it asked the unions to put it off.
According to sources in the farmers’ umbrella organisation, the farmers’ agitation, which began on November 26 last year at the three Delhi border sites of Singhu, Ghazipur, and Tikri, will be terminated shortly once unions receive an official letter from the government on the agreed-upon updated draught proposal.
According to SKM sources, the government’s new proposal emphasised that SKM members will be included in the MSP committee, and that the governments of Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Haryana had agreed to remove proceedings against farmers with immediate effect. Cases filed against farmers in Delhi would be dismissed as well.
The SKM had constituted a five-member panel to hold talks with the Centre about farmers’ unmet demands, such as a legal guarantee on MSP, the removal of lawsuits against farmers filed during the movement, and compensation for the kin of farmers who died during the agitation.
“The ball is now in the government’s court,” Yudhvir Singh, a member of the SKM’s five-member committee, said on Wednesday. “A final decision will be reached tomorrow (Thursday).”
The SKM had asked clarification on key issues in the government’s plan on Tuesday, including the provision that “false” lawsuits against farmers be dropped. According to SKM sources, the new plan given by the Centre further emphasised that state procurement of MSP crops will not be curtailed.
Darshan Pal, a farmer leader and member of the SKM core committee, claimed that farmers received the updated document in the morning, in which the government had eliminated some things and inserted others as advised by SKM.
“The revised draft was unanimously approved by the SKM. This amended draught must be sent to us in the form of a letter from the government. After receiving the letter from the Centre, the SKM will meet again on Thursday at 12 p.m. Following that, a choice will be made “Pal remarked.
