Farmers' Body To Decide Tomorrow On Ending Protest After Consensus On Govt's Fresh Proposal

Despite the withdrawal of the three contentious farm laws by the Centre, farmers have continued with their protest over pending demands.

The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) is spearheading the farmers' movement (PTI)

New Delhi: A formal decision on ending the year-long farmers' agitation will be taken on Thursday after the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM),  an umbrella body of over 40 farmer unions, said a consensus had been reached over a revised draft proposal of the Centre on their pending demands.

The Centre sent a fresh proposal to the SKM on Wednesday after the outfit said the earlier draft on pending demands was not acceptable to them.

"We are in agreement with the government regarding our demands. We will decide about suspending the agitation after the meeting tomorrow. No decision has been taken yet on calling off agitation. Another meeting of SKM will be to be held tomorrow (Thursday) at 12 noon," farmer leader and SKM core committee member Gurnam Singh Chaduni said at a press conference.

"Consensus has reached on government's fresh proposal. Now, a formal communication signed on the government's letterhead is awaited," PTI quoted Gurnam Singh Chaduni as saying.

Despite the withdrawal of the three farm laws by the Centre, farmers have continued with their protest over pending demands. On November 29, a bill was passed in Parliament to repeal the three laws.

Farmers have demanded a legal guarantee on MSP for crops, compensation to the kin of the farmers who died during the agitation and the withdrawal of cases against the protesters. 

On Tuesday, the SKM had sought clarification on certain points in the government's proposal, including on the precondition set for the withdrawal of cases against farmers. The government had proposed that cases would be withdrawn after the agitation was called off. 

"Government's proposal says after we end the movement, then only will they withdraw cases (against farmers). We are apprehensive about it," the SKM had said.

Braving the summer heat and chilly winter, thousands of farmers, mostly from Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh, have been camping at several Delhi border points, like Singhu and Tikri, since November 26, 2020.