Farmer leaders will wait for an official order December 9, following which they will meet to call off the protests
The Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM), the umbrella group of farmer unions that spearheaded the year-old protests against the now-repealed farm laws at Delhi’s borders, said it had agreed to the revised draft proposal sent by the government December 8, 2021.
“There are no issues of dispute left now,” farmer leader Yudhvir Singh said during a press conference, suggesting that the movement was likely to be called off soon.
However, the leaders will wait for an official order on December 9 from the government. “Any decision to call off the protest will be taken after we get a final letter from the government,” Gurnam Singh Chaduni, another leader, said.
A statement by SKM said:
The Samyukt Kisan Morcha confirms to have received a revised draft proposal from the Government of India and that a consensus has been arrived at within SKM, accepting the proposal. Now, a formal communication signed on the government’s letterhead is awaited. SKM will meet again tomorrow at 12 noon, at Singhu Border, to take a formal decision thereafter to lift the morchas.
December 8’s decision came after the SKM sought clarifications on several points given in the initial proposal by the government December 7.
A five-member committee of SKM then held meetings with the government on pending demands. The five member panel included — Balbir Singh Rajewal, Ashok Dhawle, Shiv Kumar Kakka, Gurnam Singh Chaduni and Yudhvir Singh.
The government had asked the farmers to end the protest after it repealed the three farm laws in Parliament last week.
The pending demands included a legal guarantee on Minimum Support Price (MSP) for crops, withdrawal of cases against the protestors and compensation to the kin of farmers who died during the protests.
A major concern among farmer groups was also the membership of the proposed MSP committee.
The government, in its offer, had said that there will be representations from various other farmer organisations as well, along with the SKM.
However, the protesting farmer unions wanted representatives only from SKM, as there is a possibility that some farm associations, which were supporting the three farm laws, may be made part of the committee.
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Photo: Samyukt Kisan Morcha.png)
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