Samyukta Kisan Morcha meeting underway to decide future course of agitation

File image of protesting farmers.

Several farmer leaders gathered here on Saturday under the aegis of the Samyukta Kisan Morcha to discuss and deliberate upon the future course of the agitation.

The meeting, taking place, near the Singhu Border between Haryana and Delhi assumes significance, as it is happening less than a week after the Centre had passed a bill in Parliament to repeal the three contentious farm laws.

Singhu Border has been the epicentre of the farmers protests that had started late November last year. Farmer leaders from Haryana, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and other places are currently discussing the way forward in a close-door meeting that began over two hours ago.

A large number of farmers have gathered outside the premises of a building in Sonipat, where the meeting is underway. A press conference is scheduled to take place after the meeting of leaders.

A group of 10-15 farmers sat on the pavement outside, wearing chains, in a symbolic protest, and demanded guarantee of MSP from the government, saying these farmers will not budge unless it is granted. The protesters included farmers from Rajasthan, Haryana and Punjab.

Farmer leaders on Friday had said any decision on whether to send five names to the Centre for a panel on MSP will be taken in the meeting as they have not yet received any formal communication from the government. The farmers, however, concurred that SKM need not send any names for the panel, and "the MSP guarantee should be given".

Repeal of the farm laws was one of the main demands of the protesting farmers. But the stalemate continues as their other demands such as legal guarantee on MSP, compensation to families of farmers who died during the movement and withdrawal of cases against them are still to be met. On Monday, the central government had passed a bill in parliament to repeal the three contentious farm laws.

During the meeting, members also pondering over pending demands of the protesting farmers which include legal guarantee on minimum support price (MSP) of crops, withdrawal of cases against farmers, compensation to kin of farmers who lost their lives during the agitation.

"Along with discussing our pending demands, the SKM will decide future course of the movement. Since we have not yet got any formal communication from the Centre to submit names of five farmer leaders for a committee on MSP, we will decide in the meeting whether we have to send the names to them," SKM core committee member Darshan Pal told.