Farmers Movement Archive

SKM to hold farmers’ mahapanchayat in Lucknow on Monday

The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM), an umbrella body of farmer unions, will be holding a mahapanchayat at Eco Garden in Lucknow on Monday in a show of strength days after the PM’s announcement that the three farm laws, which led to the farmers’ movement, would be repealed. Giving a “Lucknow Chalo” (march to Lucknow) call, Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Rakesh Tikait has invited farmers, labourers and youths to join the mahapanchayat in big numbers. The Lucknow mahapanchayat was planned several months before the Friday’s announcement.Farmer leaders said the protests will continue until the government makes a law on minimum support price (MSP). In a tweet in Hindi on Sunday, BKU national spokesperson Rakesh Tikait said, “Chalo Lucknow Chalo Lucknow (lets go to Lucknow) for MSP Adhikaar Kisan Mahapanchayat. The agriculture reforms being talked about are fake and cosmetic. The farm reforms are not going to stop the plight of the farmers. The biggest reform for the farmers and agriculture will be to make a law pertaining to the MSP.”Meanwhile, farmers and supporters of their stir from different districts of western UP are expected to take part in the mahapanchayat in big numbers. General secretary, BKU (Asli), Surendra Singh said farmers’ confidence was running high after the announcement of the repealing of three “contentious” farm laws. Therefore, they were expected to attend the mahapanchayat in big numbers, he added.Moreover, Rashtriya Lok Dal chief Jayant Chaudhary also advised farmers in his “Parivartan Sandesh Rally” in Muzaffarnagar on Saturday to keep up the pressure on the government and reiterated that “his party will always back the decisions taken by the farmers”. Farmer leaders are reaching out to people in villages to ensure their good turnout in the Monday’s mahapanchayat.BKU’s Moradabad division president Digamber Singh said leaders and activists of union had already arrived in Lucknow to attend the mahapanchayat. He claimed that the mahapanchayat will see a huge turnout of people including from different districts of eastern and other parts of the state. “Guarantee for MSP is a genuine demand of farmers and the agitation will continue until the government accepts the demand,” Singh claimed.Other farmer leaders opined that the Centre’s decision to withdraw the three contentious farm laws had infused vigour among the agitating farmers.

Hindustan Times

21-11-2021

Lucknow