Samkyukta Kisan Morcha, an umbrella body of protesting farmer unions, has announced that ‘kisan mahapanchayats’ will be organised across the country in coming days against Centre’s three agriculture laws.
In a statement, the farmers’ body said that its teams are planning the programmes of the state-wise mahapanchayats.
The morcha made it clear that it will not call off the ongoing protest until its demands to repeal the laws and bring legal guarantee for minimum support price on their crops are met.
The move comes a day after it announced a four-hour nationwide rail roko (rail blockade) on February 18 to press for their demands.
Protesting farmer leader Darshan Pal said a mahapanchayat will be held in Moadabad (Uttar Pradesh) on Friday, followed by Bahadurgarh bypass (Haryana) on February 13, Sri Ganganagar (Rajasthan) on February 18, Hanumangarh (Rajasthan) on February 19 and Silkar (Rajasthan) on February 23.
Meanwhile, the Supreme Court-constituted committee continued its deliberations on Thursday to resolve the standoff over the farm laws.
Even as BKU president Bhupinder Singh Mann has opted out of the panel, the three other members- agricultural economist Ashok Gulati, Pramod Kumar Joshi- Director, South Asia, International Food Policy Research Institute, and Shetkari Sanghatana president Anil Ghanwat interacted with government officials of 18 states- Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Dadra, and Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu, Goa, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Delhi, Punjab, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, and Uttarakhand. They not only gave their frank views about the agrarian laws but also gave suggestions to improve the implementation of the laws.
On January 12, the apex court stayed the implementation of the farm laws and made it clear that the MSP system shall continue. The committee has been directed to solicit the views of the farm unions and the Centre. Moreover, this panel will submit its recommendations pertaining to the farm laws to the SC within two months from the date of its first sitting. However, the Samyukta Kisan Morcha has decided against participating in the proceedings of the SC-formed committee.
