Farmers Movement Archive

Farmer unions to take call on ending protests today

Responding to a proposal from the Ministry of Home Affairs on Tuesday morning, which urged the protesting farmers to call off their agitation as most of their pending demands had been resolved, the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) sought clarifications on several points, including the withdrawal of “fake” cases against protesters. After a discussion at the Singhu border, the farmers’ unions decided to reconvene at 2 p.m. on Wednesday to announce a final decision on ending their protest. On the MHA proposal, the unions sought “clarifications” on several points from the Union Government, especially with regard to the “fake cases” filed against protesters and the composition and mandate of a committee to discuss minimum support prices (MSP). Tikait for talks While some farmers say they are ready to go home if the Government adapts the language of its proposal to accede to their demands, Rakesh Tikait of the Bharatiya Kisan Union said the Government must still sit across the table with farmer leaders and hold talks with the SKM. Apart from the political compulsions to keep the struggle alive in the run-up to the Assembly election in Uttar Pradesh, the pending demand of a legal guarantee for MSP remains a major issue for Mr. Tikait’s supporters and in other parts of the country where the existing MSP regime is not as strong as in Punjab and Haryana. The Home Ministry proposal only said that the SKM leaders would be included in the proposed committee to discuss MSP, among other issues. “This leaves open the possibility that other so-called farmers groups, who supported the farm laws and the WTO [World Trade Organization] regime against MSP, will also be part of the committee,” warned All India Kisan Sabha leader Ashok Dhawale, adding that the committee must have a specific mandate to discuss an MSP law. Another sticking point, especially among Punjab leaders, remains the Government’s conditional offer to withdraw the cases filed against protesters over the past year, including during a chaotic Republic Day tractor rally in Delhi. The proposal said that once the agitation was withdrawn, the cases would also be withdrawn by the Government of Uttar Pradesh and the Government of Haryana, as well by the Union Government which has police jurisdiction over the national capital. “The protest can only end when the cases are withdrawn. This cannot come with any conditions,” said Balbir Singh Rajewal, who heads his own faction of the Bharatiya Kisan Union in Punjab.

The Hindu

2021-12-08

NEW DELHI