Farm unions to take a call on ending protests today
Item
Title
Farm unions to take a call on ending protests today
Description
The pending demand of a legal guarantee for MSP remains a major issue for Mr. Tikait’s supporters in Uttar Pradesh, as well as in other parts of the country where the existing MSP regime is not as strong as in Punjab and Haryana. Tuesday’s Home Ministry proposal only says SKM’s leaders would be included in the Centre’s 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 Organisation] regime against MSP, will also be part of the committee,” warned All India Kisan Sabha leader Ashok Dhawale. Another major sticking point, especially among Punjab leaders, remains the Centre’s conditional offer to withdraw cases filed against protesters over the last year, including during a chaotic Republic Day tractor rally in the capital. The Home Ministry proposal said that once the agitation was withdrawn, the cases would also be withdrawn by the Governments of Uttar Pradesh and Haryana, as well by the Centre which has police jurisdiction over the capital. “The protest can only end when the cases are withdrawn.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.
Publisher
The Hindu
Date
2021-12-08
Coverage
December 08 2021 00:00 IST