BREAKING: Farmers End Year-Long Protests, To Vacate Sindhu Border on Dec 11

The morcha said that farmers will return to their homes from several Delhi border points. The decision was taken at a meeting of the SKM today after a draft proposal from the Centre was received on the pending issues which includes assurances on MSP and withdrawal of police cases. The morcha was spearheading the stir since November last year at several Delhi border points against the three farm laws. The ‘ pending issues include law on Minimum Support Price, withdrawal of the draft Electricity Amendments Bill, 2020/2021, withdrawal of criminal cases against farmers and compensation for the families of farmers who died during the year-long protest against the three farm laws, now repealed.

‘We have decided to suspend our agitation. We will hold a review meeting on Jan 15. If Govt doesn’t fulfill its promises, we could resume our agitation,’ Farmer leader Gurnam Singh Charuni following a meeting of Samyukta Kisan Morcha in Delhi said.

When Prime Minister Modi last month offered farmers an “apology’ and said the farm laws would be scrapped, farmers rejoiced but underlined their determination to continue protests till the MSP issue was resolved.

Farmers from Haryana, Punjab and some parts of Uttar Pradesh have been camped at Delhi borders for over a year now, demanding that the government withdraw the three laws – The Farmers Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020 and Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020.

Following were the demands of the protesting farmers:

1. Withdrawal of all the agitation-related cases registered during this protest in all states and Union territories, or under central government agencies, etc.
2. Compensation to all the families of the agitating farmers who died during the course of agitation.
3. No criminal liability to farmers in the cases of stubble burning.
4. The government has to discuss the Electricity Amendment Bill with the SKM or with other farmers’ unions before bringing it up in Parliament.
5. A committee to discuss minimum support price (MSP) is to be formed; the SKM will list out their members in the panel and provide it to the farmers.
6. The ongoing policy on MSP and its procurement in the country will continue as it is.

Centre sends revised proposal

The Centre on Thursday handed over a revised proposal to the farmers as demanded indicating an end to over year-old agitation against the contentious farm laws. Following the revocation of the law, the Centre had come up with a proposal which was accepted by the farmers. Based on their demand, the Centre has come out with the same in writing. ‘As far as the matter of compensation is concerned, UP and Haryana have given in-principle consent,’ the letter reads.

Meanwhile, the farmers protesting at the Singhu border have started removing their tents. They were also seen exchanging sweets indicating that the end of the agitation is not very far.