Farmers call off year-long stir, to leave protest sites Dec. 11
Farmers on Thursday announced that they are suspending their over-ayear-long agitation and will vacate protest sites across the country starting Saturday. This announcement comes in the wake of the Centre accepting their demands, including the withdrawal of all agitation-related cases and compensation to the families of those farmers who died during the course of the movement against the contentious agriculture laws.
After intense negotiations initiated by the Central government, the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) — an umbrella body of over 40 farmers’ unions spearheading the protests — on Thursday announced that their pending demands have been accepted and they will mark December 11 as “Vijay Diwas” (Victory Day) at all borders, toll plazas and protest places across the country.
The farmers’ body tweeted, “SKM formally announces the lifting of the morchas at Delhi borders on national highways and various other locations in response — Current agitation stands suspended – Battle has been won; the war to ensure farmers’ rights will continue.”
Swaraj India president Yogendra Yadav said that the SKM has postponed celebrations in view of the helicopter crash in which Chief of Defence Staff Gen. Bipin Rawat and 12 others were killed. “We wanted to celebrate it tomorrow but have postponed it to December 11 in view of the tragedy yesterday where 13 people were killed in a chopper crash.”
Apart from victory celebrations, the farmer leaders also plan to pay obeisance
at the Golden Temple in Amritsar on December 13. Prominent farmer leader Gurnam Singh Chaduni said the agitation has been suspended and union leaders will meet on January 15 in Delhi to review the progress made on the government’s proposals. “A review meeting will be convened on January 15 to see if the government met all the demands. If they do not, we can take a call on resuming the protest,” they said.
After the SKM suspended the agitation, many farmers started removing their tents and prepared to vacate highways ringing Delhi where they have been camped for more than a year.
The protests first gained momentum in November last year when farmers tried to march into Delhi but were stopped by
A review meeting will be convened on Jan. 15 to see if the govt met all the demands. If they do not, we can take a call on resuming the protest.
— Gurnam Singh Chaduni, Farmer leader
New Delhi, Dec. 9: The Samyukta Kisan Morcha will gear up to present the farmer unions’ umbrella body as a ‘national level morcha’ and farmer leaders who want to join politics should leave the union, SKM core committee member Darshan Pal said on Thursday. He also reiterated that the farmers’ body should remain “apolitical”.
Pal’s comments came after SKM’s decision to suspend the year-long agitation by farmers against the Centre’s three farm laws.
The union has called for a meeting on January 15 next year to see if its demands have been met by the government.
“The January 15 meeting will also discuss how to present the SKM as a national level morcha. Farmer leaders who want to join politics should leave the SKM. The SKM will remain apolitical,” Pal said.
He said the SKM achieved 60 per cent win on November 19 when the announcement to repeal the farm laws was made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and 35 per cent was achieved on Thursday, suggesting the remaining five per cent win would be when all the demands are fulfilled.