Farmers Movement Archive

Legal guarantee for MSP: Six farmers begin hunger strike at Singhu

As many as six farmers – three each from Haryana and Punjab – on Sunday sat on a hunger strike at Singhu border, demanding a legal guarantee for the minimum support price (MSP).They will continue to observe the strike till December 7, when the Samyukt Kisan Morcha will hold its meetings to decide the future course of action.The farmers – Rajender Singh (Sonepat), Kartar Singh (Kaithal), Naresh Sangwan (Ambala), Satnam Singh (Patiala), Bikram Singh (Gurdaspur) and Kuldeep Singh (Moga) – tied themselves with chains before starting their hunger strike near the protest site at Singhu.Rajender said they will continue their protest until the Union government gave a legal guarantee for the MSP, which they had been demanding for years.“The government has sought five names from SKM leaders, who will be part of a committee to discuss the MSP. This is an attempt to call-off the agitation and dump our demand for legal guarantee on the MSP,” he added.Kuldeep said farmers had been waiting for MSP since Independence and this was the right time for protesters to take their pending share. “We will continue to tie our bodies with chains until the government gives a legal guarantee,” he said.On Saturday, SKM leaders had formed a five-member committee for holding discussions with the central government.Besides the legal guarantee for MSP, their demands include compensation to kin of farmers, who died during the agitation against the farm laws; withdrawal of cases against the protesters; action against Union minister Ajay Mishra in connection with the Lakhimpur Kheri incident; and memorials for the deceased farmers.Meanwhile, a group of Nihangs dismantled their tents and left with their items in trucks, tractor-trolleys and other vehicles. They said the government had accepted their demands and they were returning home.

Hindustan Times

06-12-2021

Chandigarh