SKM meeting at Singhu border
Highlights
- The SKM held a crucial meeting to discuss the future course of farmers' agitation.
- The meeting took place at the Singhu Border campsite.
- 5-member Committee is formed to hold talks over MSP with the Centre.
The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) on Saturday met at the Singhu border today to discuss the future course of farmers' agitation. The meeting concluded late afternoon, and a 5-members committee was formed to hold talks over MinimumSupport Price (MSP) with the government.
Farmer leaders Balbir Singh Rajewal, Ashok Dhole, Shiv Kumar Kakka, Gurnam Singh Chaduni, and Yudhveer Singh are members of this committee. Notably, BKU leader Rakesh Tikait is not included in it.
The next meeting of the farmers' body is scheduled to take place on December 7.
Earlier today, Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Rakesh Tikait said, "We will decide how the agitation should move forward and how the talks with the governments should go ahead."
Tikait said, "We will talk about what is going on. We will discuss how ongoing talks with the government are moving forward. Some people held discussions with thw government yesterday, they have come from haryana and they will share their experience
On Friday, the farmer leaders 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.
"Our crucial meeting is tomorrow (Saturday) at 11 am. Along with discussing our pending demands, the SKM will decide the future course of the movement. Since we have not yet got any formal communication from the Centre to submit the 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 PTI.
The Centre on Tuesday had demanded five names from the SKM to form a panel to deliberate on MSP and other issues.
However, the SKM in a statement said that its leaders had received a phone call from the Centre on the issue but there was no formal communication.
On Monday, the central government had passed a bill in Parliament to repeal the three contentious farm laws.
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 guarantees for MSPs, compensation to families of farmers who died during the movement and withdrawal of cases against them are still to be met.
The SKM, an umbrella body of 40 farmer unions, in a statement on Friday said that farmers' struggle for pending demands continues as there is no formal assurance from the Centre as yet on them.
“SKM has not received any reply from the government in response to its letter to the Prime Minister, where SKM had raised six key demands as a pre-condition for withdrawal of the farm movement,” the statement said.
It said that permanent morchas in dozens of places continue at the Delhi borders and elsewhere.
(with PTI inputs)
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