Farmers Movement Archive

Punjab farm unions give ultimatum to Centre to accept pending demands by today

Punjab’s 32 farm unions held a meeting at Singhu border on Monday and gave an ultimatum to the Union government to accept their pending six demands by Tuesday evening or they “will be forced to take a big decision on December 1”.The farmers welcomed the Centre’s move of passing farm laws repeal bill in both the Houses of the Parliament.BKU (Sidhupur) state president Jagjit Singh Dallewal said they conducted a meeting and have given an ultimatum to the Union government to accept their demands, which were sent to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in an open letter, by Tuesday evening.“We have called an emergency meeting of the Samyukt Kisan Morcha leaders on December 1 ahead of our scheduled December 4 meeting to take decision on the agitation. The government should accept our demands which include a legal guarantee on the minimum support price (MSP), amendment in the Electricity Act, compensation to deceased farmers’ families and job to their next of kin, revocation of FIRs registered during the agitation, and strict action against the Union minister of state for home affairs Ajay Mishra, by Tuesday evening,” he added.Dallewal said the government should not remain in misconception that the protesters are going back after the three farm laws were repealed through a bill in the Parliament.“After President Ram Nath Kovind signed off on the farm laws repeal legislation, we will ask the government to accept our other demands. The ball is in the government’s court whether they want to call off this agitation or continue it. Farmers of the entire country want a legal guarantee on MSP, not just Punjab farmers,” Dallewal added.SKM leader Inderjit Singh said they are not fully satisfied with the Union government as six demands are yet to be met.“Farmers from Haryana, Punjab and other states will leave Delhi borders after all their demands are accepted. We are in no mood to leave the borders until all our demands are accepted,” he added.BKU state youth president Ravi Azad said they will follow the SKM’s decision after their meeting on December 1.“The government’s only option is to accept all our demands and end this agitation. The BJP-JJP leaders were claiming that the MSP will be continued, so there should not be any problem in giving a legal guarantee,” he added.Meanwhile, JJP general secretary Digvijay Singh Chautala, younger brother of Haryana deputy CM Dushyant Chautala, said the government should revoke all cases registered against farmers during the agitation.“It took one year to solve the farmers’ issues but we are glad that it has been resolved. The government should include SKM leaders in a committee to decide an MSP policy and accept their other demands as well,” he said while interacting with the media in Bahadurgarh.

Hindustan Times

30-11-2021

Chandigarh