The Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) has appealed to all farmers to gather at protest sites on November 26 to mark the first anniversary of anti-farm law agitation. The announcement comes hours after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s announcement to repeal the three contentious farm laws.
In a statement, the SKM said the struggle will continue to get all demands of the protesting farmers fulfilled and all announced plans are underway. The first anniversary of the agitation will be marked by parades by tractors and bullock carts in other states.
“SKM appeals 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,” the statement said.
Although they welcomed the announcement by Modi, the farmers said that they will continue their agitation until the government withdraws the three laws through parliamentary procedures. Minister of State for Agriculture Kailash Choudhary meanwhile urged them to return home and not be adamant as the Centre has met their demand of repealing three farm laws.
Thousands of farmers, particularly those from Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh, have been protesting at the borders of the national capital since November 26 last year demanding repeal of the three farm laws.
Farmer leaders said that a final decision on the future course of the agitation and the issue of minimum support price (MSP) will be taken in a meeting of the SKM at the Singhu border protest site on Sunday. It said 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 said in the statement.
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have been implicated in Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Delhi, Chandigarh, Madhya Pradesh and elsewhere have to be withdrawn unconditionally, it said.
