SKM to hold meeting on Nov 27 to decide further course of action

Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) on Sunday said it will hold a meeting on November 27 to decide the future course of action regarding the ongoing protest against farm laws.

As per SKM's official statement, in a meeting that took place at Singhu Border on Sunday, it was decided to continue with all the announced programmes as per plan, even after the Centre announced to withdraw the three farm laws.

The umbrella body of over 40 protesting farmer unions, also congratulated the farmers and workers of India for a "historic victory", and decided to send an open letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi raising pending demands of the farmers' movement, including central legislation to guarantee a remunerative minimum support price (MSP).

"SKM also decided to continue with all the announced programmes as per plan. The next meeting will take place on November 27, to review developments if any," the statement said.

SKM further appealed to all citizens part of the movement to take part in Lucknow Kisan Mahapanchayat on Monday, Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Diwas on Sir Chhotu Ram's birth anniversary on November 24, "Dilli Border Morche pe Chalo" on November 26 and all state-level farmer-worker protests in states far away from Delhi--Sansad Chalo on November 29. "Farmers who have been protesting peacefully and hopefully for about a year now are the ones who did the true tapasya with faith. These annadaatas have taken the historic movement to the cusp of a historic first victory with their tapasya and are steadily taking this towards full victory, which will actually be a victory for democracy itself. This victory is not a question of someone's pride or ego, but a matter of lives and livelihoods of millions of ignored and marginalised Indians," the statement said.

"While Narendra Modi or his government does not acknowledge the heavy and avoidable sacrifices made by around 700 brave farmers of the Kisan Andolan, the Telangana Government has now stepped forward to provide support to the kin of the martyrs. While announcing support of Rs 3 lakh rupees each per martyr family, the Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao also demanded that the government of India pay Rs 25 lakhs for each farmer family and also withdraw all cases unconditionally. SKM will provide the list of martyrs to the Telangana government for this ex-gratia support to be extended to the martyrs' families,' the statement added.

SKM further noted that in Haryana, when state Agriculture Minister JP Dalal reached Tosham for an inauguration event of a Court complex, farmers gathered in large numbers for a black flag protest.

"The protestors were picked up and detained, and released only after the Minister's event. It is not just in Punjab, Haryana and Western UP that BJP leaders are facing black flag protests routinely. As election-related momentum picks up in Uttar Pradesh, in Eastern UP, Maharajganj's MLA Jai Mangal Kanojiya had to face the wrath of the locals yesterday. His supporters were strongly resisted by local villagers who made the MLA and supporters leave the village,' said SKM.

Meanwhile, the Union Cabinet is likely to take up the withdrawal of the three Farm Laws for approval on November 24, the government sources said.

The Bills for withdrawal of the laws will then be introduced in the forthcoming winter session of Parliament which is scheduled to commence from November 29.

( With inputs from ANI )

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