SKM Holds Core Committee Meeting, Plan For Tractor March To Parliament Amid Winter Session Still On

Earlier this month, SKM had called upon all farmers to observe one year of the agitation against the contentious agrarian laws by marching towards the Parliament in the national capital.

New Delhi: The Samyukta Kisan Morcha, an umbrella body of the farmers’ unions, held its core committee meeting in the national capital on Saturday.

The meeting took place in view of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s announcement on the decision to repeal the three contentious agrarian laws.

In a statement, SKM appealed to farmers in various North Indian states to reach the different morcha sites on November 26, 2021, which marks the completion of a full one year of continuous peaceful protests at Delhi’s borders.

Saying that the “agitation will continue”, farmer leader and SKM core committee member Darshan Pal said: “Our programs for November 22, 26, and 29 will continue as usual. Lucknow rally on November 22, a gathering on 26th when one year (of farmers’ agitation) will be marked across the nation and tractor march (to Parliament) on November 29”.

The farmer leader highlighted issues on which protestors seek the Union government’s attention and action.

“Our issues besides farm laws, especially MSP, withdrawal of cases against us, rollback of Power Bill 2020 and Air Quality Ordinance, and allotment of a location for a memorial for our friends who died, are pending. We hope the government calls a meeting to resolve the issues,” he said, as quoted by news agency ANI.

The farmers’ body in its statement on Saturday wrote that the first anniversary of the agitation will be marked by parades by tractors and bullock carts in other states.

In various states that are far away from Delhi, the first anniversary on November 26 will be marked by tractor and bullock cart parades in capital cities, along with other protests, the SKM said in the statement, as reported by news agency PTI.

The union body noted that the prime minister announced repeal of the three “black” farm laws but he chose to remain silent on the other pending demands of the farmers.

More than 670 farmers martyred in the farmers’ movement so far and the Government of India did not even acknowledge their sacrifice. These martyrs’ families have to be supported with compensation and employment opportunities. The martyrs also deserve homage to be paid to them in Parliament session, and a memorial should be erected in their name, the SKM stated.

Hundreds of cases in which thousands of farmers have been implicated in Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Delhi, Chandigarh, Madhya Pradesh and elsewhere have to be withdrawn unconditionally, it demanded.

Also, SKM mentioned that during the Monsoon Session of Parliament beginning from November 29, a peaceful and disciplined march of 500 protesters in tractor trolleys to Parliament every day will go ahead as planned.

It also indicated that its movement for a statutory guarantee of MSP and demand for the withdrawal of the Electricity Amendment Bill will continue.

The SKM also appealed to farmers to join in very large numbers in the Lucknow Kisan Mahapanchayat on November 22.

On Friday, Darshan Pal had said that the final call on farmers’ protests will be taken during the meeting on Sunday.

“We will not leave the protest sites unless these demands are met. To bring a consensus on the future course of the agitation and discuss MSP and other demands of farmers, the farmers’ body will meet on Saturday and Sunday. The final decision will be taken at the SKM’s core committee meeting on Sunday,” Darshan Pal told PTI.

Thousands of farmers from Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh have been protesting at the borders of the national capital since November 26 last year to demand repeal of the three farm laws -- Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020; Farmers’ (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020; and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020.

PM Modi’s Announcement & Proposed Tractor Rally

In his address to the nation on the occasion of Guru Nanak Jayanti, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had on Friday announced that the three farm laws will be repealed in the coming Winter Session of Parliament.

The farmers’ body responded to the development saying: “The Samyukt Kisan Morcha welcomes this decision and will wait for the announcement to take effect through due parliamentary procedures.”

“The agitation of farmers is not just for the repeal of the three black laws, but also for a statutory guarantee to remunerative prices for all agricultural produce and for all farmers. This important demand of farmers is still pending,” it stated, as quoted by PTI.

The SKM also stressed that the demand for the withdrawal of the Electricity Amendment Bill is still pending.

Claiming that nearly 700 farmers have died during the protests, the farmers’ body said, “The Central government’s obstinacy is responsible for these avoidable deaths, including the murders in Lakhimpur Kheri.”

Earlier this month, SKM had called upon all farmers to observe one year of the agitation against the contentious agrarian laws by marching towards the Parliament in the national capital.

500 farmers will participate in a peaceful tractor march to Parliament every day during Winter Session, SKM stated.

The SKM decided that from November 29 until the end of this Parliament session, 500 selected farmer volunteers will move every day to Parliament in tractor trollies peacefully and with full discipline, to assert their rights to protest in the national capital, the union body’s statement informed, as reported by PTI.

(With Inputs From Agencies)