Samyukt Kisan Morcha meet tomorrow at Singhu Border
Darpan News Desk IANS, 14 Jan, 2022 02:59 PM
New Delhi, Jan 14 (IANS) The Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) will hold a review meeting at their Singhu Border camp site to decide the future course of action for the agitation that was suspended after three farm laws were repealed in December first week.
The SKM, a consortium of 40-odd farmers' organisations, had on December 9, 2021 declared to suspend their 15-month long agitation that was started to protest the three contentious farm laws passed by the Parliament in 2020.
The agitation had continued even after the three laws - the Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020 and Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act 2020 - were repealed by the Parliament as the farmers' stuck to their other demands vis-a-vis legal backing for minimum support price (MSP) for all farmers being the prime demand after repeal of the three laws.
Almost six weeks after that, there has been "no word" about the formation of the committee on MSP and other issues.
"The meeting will be held at 11 am tomorrow," a SKM spokesperson confirmed on Friday.
Farm leader and Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Rakesh Tikait had told IANS two weeks ago that the government had not sought any names as representatives from the farming community.
There has been "no talk" about withdrawing cases lodged against agitating farmers too.
The Bill has been listed for introduction, consideration and passing in the Lok Sabha. It is among 26 new Bills, which are to be introduced in the Parliament session beginning November 29.
MSP is the price that the government declares in advance and pays at the time of procurement of crops from the farmers at the Agricultural Produce Market Committees (APMCs), popular as Mandis. The concept is derived from the fact that the farmers should not suffer losses owing to lesser rates in the open market.
The Sanyukta Kisan Morcha, an umbrella organisation of the farmers' unions, said that their protests would continue till their demands, including guarantee for minimum support price and dismissal of Union Minister Ajay Misra Teni, were met.
Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi on Monday said the farmers' agitation against three farm laws will be always remembered as a 'watershed movement' to protect the democratic and human rights in the country.
The accused travelled from the Bandaranaike International Airport located in the outskirts of Colombo onboard SriLankan Airlines Flight UL 171 along with 140 other passengers. They had concealed the liquid gold in their rectum and was supposed to be given to handlers in Bengaluru.
Auto-rickshaw drivers in Punjab's industrial town Ludhiana on Monday received an unusual guest in the form of Chief Minister Charanjit Channi, who halted unscheduled on his way to the grain market to listen to their problems.