What's Next for Farmers' Protest? 'Will Continue With Stir,' Says SKM After Meet

Farmer organisations have welcomed the government's decision to repeal the laws.

Farmers block railway tracks as part of the Samyukt Kisan Morchas Rail Roko protest demanding the dismissal and arrest of Union Minister Ajay Mishra in connection with the Oct. 3 violence in Lakhimpur Kheri, in Bahadurgarh, Monday, Oct. 18, 2021.

Manvender Vashist. 

The Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) appealed to all protesting farmers to continue with the announced protests, including the Lucknow Kisan Mahapanchayat on 22 November, at the meeting held at Singhu protest site close to the Delhi-Haryana border on Saturday, 20 November.

The group also urged farmers to join in large numbers at all morcha sites on the first anniversary of the historic andolan on 26 November and the Parliament march planned on 29 November.

The meeting was held one day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the repeal of the three controversial farm laws that catalysed demonstrations lasting a year.

"While the Prime Minister of India announced his government's decision to repeal three black farm laws, he chose to remain silent on the pending demands of farmers. More than 670 people have been martyred in the farmers' movement so far and Centre did not even acknowledge their sacrifice. Hundreds of false cases in which thousands of farmers have been implicated," the SKM said in a statement.

Speaking about the meeting on Sunday to news agency ANI, Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Rakesh Tikait said that the agenda will be to discuss other issues, including the withdrawal of cases against farmers and the issue of farmers who died.

• The SKM has welcomed the government's decision to repeal the laws.

• Darshan Pal, a core committee member, said that while the decision was a step forward, the farmers would continue to protest until legislations were formally taken back in the upcoming Winter Session of Parliament, according to PTI.

• He also said that the farmers and the government must come to an agreement on the conditions of a minimum support price (MSP) for crops.

In his address to the nation on Guru Nanak Jayanti, the prime minister had said that his government had worked to "provide farmers with seeds at reasonable rates and facilities like micro-irrigation, 22 crore soil health cards", the Indian Express reported.

"However, we failed to make them understand about the benefits of the new laws and as such, we have decided to roll them back," the PM added.

(With inputs from NDTV, ANI, Indian Express, and PTI.)