Farmers' Protest Ends: Farmers Finally Call Off Year-Long Agitation As Govt Agrees To All Demands

This decision by the Samyukt Kisan Morcha, an umbrella of famers’ unions, came after the farmers appeared satisfied with the point-wise written assurance by the ruling dispensation on their demands.

Image: AFP

New Delhi: The Farmers protest has officially been called off by the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM). 

With Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government accepting all demands put forth by the protesting farmers, including withdrawal of all agitation-related cases and compensation to all families who lost their lives during the course of the agitation against the three contentious farm laws, the Samyukta Kisan Morcha on Thursday finally called off the year-long protests.

This decision by the Samyukt Kisan Morcha, an umbrella of famers’ unions, came after the farmers appeared satisfied with the point-wise written assurance by the ruling dispensation on their demands.

The farmers during a meeting held at the Singhu border — the epicentre of the agitation — discussed in toto the letter received by the Union Agriculture Secretary and agreed to the Centre’s draft proposal.

The Centre’s second draft proposal, including assurances on MSP and withdrawal of police cases, came as a relief for the farmers’ leaders, who had earlier also demanded a formal communication on government letterhead.

The agitation by the farmers, who spent the last 15 months protesting the farm laws, began at the three Delhi border points - Singhu, Ghazipur and Tikri - on November 26 last year.

Earlier on Wednesday, the Samyukta Kisan Morcha said that a consensus has been reached over a revised draft proposal of the Centre on their pending demands.

“Now, a formal communication signed on the government's letterhead is awaited. SKM will meet again tomorrow at 12 noon, at Singhu Border, to take a formal decision thereafter to lift the morchas,” the Samyukta Kisan Morcha said in a statement after a meeting of its core committee, PTI reported.

The Samyukta Kisan Morcha had earlier formed a five-member panel, include Balbir Rajewal, Gurnam Singh Chadhuni, Shiv Kumar Kakka, Yudhavir Singh and Ashok Dhawale, to hold talks with the government on behalf of the farmers’ union.

The farmers, mostly from Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, were protesting at the borders of the national capital since November 26 last year to demand repeal of the three farm laws.

Earlier on November 29, a bill was passed in the Parliament to repeal the three contentious farm laws. The stalemate, however, continued with the protesting farmers demanding that the Centre fulfil their other demands that included a legal guarantee on MSP and withdrawal of cases against them.