The unions took out a victory procession on Saturday itself, postponing the ceremony to honor the funeral rites of CDS Rawat and other personnel killed in the chopper crash. All toll plazas to be cleaned by December 15 Samyukta Kisan Morcha The (SKM) said the farmers are “suspending” the agitation that started 378 days ago and will hold a meeting on January 15 to assess the government’s actions on their demands.
What a beautiful coincidence. The Kisan Morcha began on 26 November, the day the Constituent Assembly completed its work. A… https://t.co/IHu2obI6Rl
— Yogendra Yadav (@_YogendraYadav) 1639059016000
“We will review its progress every month and decide our course of action accordingly. If the government does not fulfill its promises, we can resume our agitation,” said BKU-Haryana SKM leader Gurnam Singh Charuni while addressing a joint press conference along with other leaders including Darshan Pal. Yogendra Yadav, Hannan Mollah and Shivkumar Sharma ‘Kakkaji’. The decision has raised hopes that the critically inconvenient entry and exit blocks at Delhi’s borders will soon disappear, though the condition of the highways will have to be inspected by the NHAI and state authorities before allowing traffic.
As soon as the peasant leaders formally called off their protest, many farmers began demolishing their tents and demolishing the iron structures on the Singhu border. Several people said that scrap dealers have been contacting them and told TOI that they will celebrate December 11 instead of Friday as a tribute to CDS Rawat and others. The sight at Singhu Border was of joy and happiness. Large speakers and woofers on tractors played Punjabi numbers louder than usual while smaller tents had already been put down.
However, the protesters at the UP Gate (Ghazipur border) announced that they would be the last to leave as they wanted to “fare away” farmers, mainly from Punjab, who were camping in Singhu and Tikri to express their gratitude. The BKU, which is leading the movement here, said the idea was proposed by its leader. Rakesh Tikait,
BKU spokesperson Dharmendra Malik said, “Rakesh Tikait wants us to send off the farmers of Punjab, who are mostly camping at Singhu and Tikri borders and travel long distances, first… Has said that he will be the last. Leave because he wants to see it as an appreciation of the last farmer for his tireless support given to the movement.”
There weren’t too many protesters at the UP Gate, but there were some of the most determined agitators in the camps out of about 100. Farmers of Rajasthan will clear Alwar’s Shahjahanpur border on Friday, paving the way for the reopening of the Jaipur-Delhi National Highway after nearly a year. SKM said, “The ‘Morcha’ will be removed from Shahjahanpur-Kheda border after the general meeting on Friday morning.
In a statement, the SKM said the fight to achieve Minimum Support Price (MSP) as a legal right for all farmers will continue even as Agriculture Secretary. Sanjay AgarwalThe letter to the forum said a committee proposed by the Center would be empowered to look into how to “ensure” the MSP to farmers, undermining assurances on legal backing. Unions are likely to take up this in the coming state elections, especially in UP and Punjab.
The SKM’s decision to end the current agitation comes after Agrawal formally acknowledged the points written to him on Thursday morning, which were stated informally in a revised draft resolution a day earlier. As farmers’ unions agreed to the draft on Wednesday, the agriculture secretary reiterated those points in his formal note to the front and urged its leaders to end the agitation.
The government’s written promises include “unconditional” withdrawal of all cases against farmers and their supporters in states and union territories, including Delhi, compensation to the families of all farmers killed during the year-long protests, ensuring support price. This includes making the proposed committee on MSP mandatory. To consult the stakeholders including crops, SKM before introducing the Electricity Amendment Bill in Parliament and making stubble burning a crime.
During back channel efforts to end the protests against the abrogation of three agricultural laws by the Ministry of Home Affairs, the unions took a liberal approach when the government side accepted most of their demands and explained to them how to deal with the issue of stubble burning. But the cases of ‘Environment Compensation’ (Fine) and Lakhimpur Kheri incident were being directly monitored by the Supreme Court and hence the Center could not do anything on these matters.
The dismissal and arrest of junior home minister Ajay Mishra in the Lakhimpur Kheri case was one of the six demands of the SKM, which it had flagged in its email to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on November 21. Besides this, the farmers’ union also wanted ‘environmental compensation’. Clause (Section 15) to be removed from the law on Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) in Delhi-NCR and adjoining areas.
“The emergence of the SKM as a major united force at the national level is also one of the biggest achievements of this year long movement. The Front remained united despite facing many difficulties throughout the year. This struggle also shows that a How can peaceful protest compel an elected government to listen to the people in a democracy. Farmers together have now emerged as a bigger force,” said P Krishnaprasad of All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) – SKM’s one of the major components.
Yogendra Yadav also flagged off how the farmers regained their lost dignity and emerged as a strong political force that can set the national agenda for the common people. “It is also a beautiful coincidence that the ‘Kisan Morcha’ began on 26 November, the day the Constituent Assembly concluded its work. And it concluded on 9 December, the day the Constituent Assembly began its deliberations. Farmers must protect this constitutional republic,” he said. ,
(With inputs from Abhijay Jha from Ghaziabad and our Jaipur Bureau)
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