Farmers Movement Archive

Farmers' protest: SKM announces march to Parliament in May

Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM), the umbrella body of 40 protesting farmers' unions, on Wednesday announced a march to Parliament in the first fortnight of May. The farmers’ union has said that besides farmers and labourers, women, dalit-adivasi-bahujans, unemployed youth and representatives of every section of the society will participate in the march. The body has assured that the march, in protest of the three contentious farm laws, will be completely peaceful.The agitating farmers will come from their villages to the borders of Delhi through their vehicles, after which they will ‘paidal march’ or march on foot from the borders of the national capital. The exact date of the march towards Parliament will be announced in the coming days, news agency ANI quoted the umbrella body as saying.Also Read | Domestic LPG to be cheaper by ₹10 per cylinder from April 1The farmers’ leaders have also planned to form a committee to control the agitators in case there is police action during the march to avoid any unforeseen event as was witnessed on the Republic day.“We will form a committee to let the protesters know what to do in case there is police action during the march.,” Gurnaam Singh Chaduni told news agency PTI. “It will also be made clear to them that SKM condemns all kinds of violence. So the protestors will know that if there is any damage of property by them, they will have to serve the penalty," he added.The farmers leaders on Wednesday also announced multiple plans for the summer to protest the laws until they are repealed, including blocking the Kundli-Manesar-Palwal expressway for a day, beginning from 11am, on April 10.The leaders said an event to honour the lives of those who died during the agitation will also be organised on May 6, including separate events to commemorate Labour Day on May 1 and Ambedkar Jayanti scheduled for April 14.“We will be doing this because the government has not been listening to us. It has been sleeping. This is to wake up the government,” PTI quoted another leader as saying.Also Read | Are you taking a flight in April? Here are the new rules you should knowThe announcements from the farmers’ union come hours after the Supreme Court-appointed three-member panel submitted their report to the apex court in a sealed cover. The court had suspended the implementation of the three laws-Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act on January 12 and constituted a committee to mediate the issue that has been a deadlock between the Centre and the farmers for more than four months.The content of the report has not been revealed and the court has scheduled the hearing for April 5.The SKM had rejected the three-member committee after its formulation alleging it to be pro-government.

Hindustan Times

31-03-2021

India