Farmers Movement Archive

SKM leaders to meet today on next move

As they mark one year of protests on Delhi’s borders, farm unions are united in celebrating the Government’s concession to their demand to repeal the three farm reform laws. However, leaders from different States and political philosophies have varying ideas on the next steps forward and what it would take to satisfy their demand for a legal guarantee of minimum support prices (MSP) for their crops. A meeting of the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM)’s core committee will be held on Saturday to determine the future course of action. The three protest sites surrounding Delhi at Singhu, Tikri and Ghazipur were thronged with farmers determined to flaunt their “historic victory” in convincing the Government to accede to their headline demand. “It is a monumental achievement that after 12 months, the farmers have forced this obstinate Prime Minister to blink, and to bend down. Few other struggles can claim such a victory,” said All India Kisan Sabha general secretary Hannan Mollah. Many farmers and leaders from Punjab, especially those without political affiliations outside the State, seem hopeful that the victory means they can go home after the year-long agitation. “We have won. The baseline has been crossed. We will now wait to see that Parliament actually repeals the laws and that the committee [mentioned by the PM] has a strong farmers’ voice,” said Jagmohan Singh, general secretary of the Dhakaunda faction of the Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU). “We want to safeguard MSP also. But for many farmers in Punjab and Haryana, who are already getting MSP through government procurement, it was the repeal of the three laws that was the most critical factor and they feel the struggle is over,” said another Punjab leader who did not wish to be named. In Uttar Pradesh, on the other hand, the majority of farmers are yet to benefit from government procurement at MSP rates and a legal guarantee would have more significance for them. Electoral calculations will also play a role in the decision of how to take the protests forward. “The MSP must be recognised as the right of all farmers, not just a few. We will continue to fight until all farmers get their due,” said Rakesh Tikait, who heads a western U.P. faction of the BKU.

The Hindu

2021-11-27

NEW DELHI