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Farmers agree to meet the govt with demands

Five days  after the Government repealed the contentious farm laws, agitating farmers who had decided to continue with their year-long struggle under the banner of  Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) (SKM), on Saturday, formed a five-member panel for dialogue with the Government to push for their pending demands including legal guarantee on Minimum Support Price (MSP) , compensation to kin of farmers who died during the movement against the agriculture laws and withdrawal of cases against the protesters, farmer leader Rakesh Tikait said in New Delhi. The SKM has  also demanded that Minister of State for Home Ajay Mishra step down.

Farmer leaders Balbir Singh Rajewal, Ashok Dhawle, Shiv Kumar Kakka, Gurnam Singh Chaduni and Yudhvir Singh were named the members of the committee after a meeting was held here by the SKM.

 Tikait said that the next meeting of the Morcha will take place on December 7 at 11 AM to decide the future course of the movement. SKM leaders, after the meeting, said they will not move from the Singhu Border here until cases filed against farmers are withdrawn and demanded an assurance in writing.

They said that the committee will decide on who will hold talks in various states from the farmers’ side.

Farmer leader and SKM member Ashok Dhawle said that the issues of compensation to be given for martyred farmers and the journalist who was mowed down by a vehicle belonging to the son of the MOS (Home), "false cases" lodged against farmers and Lakhimpur Kheri incident were discussed in the meeting. On Monday, a bill was passed in parliament to repeal the three contentious farm laws, one of the main demands of the protesting farmers.

But the stalemate continues with the protesters pressing their other demands such as a legal guarantee on MSP, compensation to families of farmers who died during the movement and withdrawal of cases.