Samyukt Kisan Morcha Meet To Decide Next Move On Farmers Agitation | Key points

Days after the Centre repealed the three farm laws, the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) on Saturday held a crucial meeting to decide on the next move of the ongoing farmers' agitation.

The Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM), an umbrella body of 40 farm unions that has been spearheading the farmers’ protest against farm laws, on Saturday held a meeting to decide on the next move of the ongoing agitation. The crucial meeting to decide on the future course of action of the agitation was held at Singhu border, days after the Centre repealed the three farm laws.

The Narendra Modi-led government at the Centre on Monday 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. However, 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.

Farmer leaders 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.

All eyes on Samyukt Kisan Morcha meet: Top developments

• The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) meeting is being held to ponder 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.
• 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.
• The farmers’ body said that permanent morchas in dozens of places continue at Delhi borders and elsewhere. The SKM statement said that it is noted that BJP leaders are themselves pressuring the BJP government in Uttar Pradesh to address farmers’ issues as elections draw closer in the state.
• It is apparent that BJP leaders and its state governments are waiting for an indication from the Union government, and thus it is their responsibility to urgently proceed on the pending demands, the statement said.
• The Centre on Tuesday had demanded five names from the SKM to form a panel to deliberate on MSP and other issues. However, later in the day, 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 Centre had passed a bill in Parliament to repeal the three farm laws, nearly two weeks after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced scrapping the legislation. The Farm Laws Repeal Bill, 2021, was tabled during the first day of the winter session of the Parliament. In both the Houses, the bill was passed within minutes of it being tabled by Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar.