Rohtak: Sarv khap panchayat serves 10-day ultimatum on govt to accept farmers' demands

Tribune News Service

Ravinder Saini

Rohtak, March 6

A sarv khap panchayat held at Titoli village here today served a 10-day ultimatum on the Centre as well as the state government to accept the demands of farmers else they would be forced to intensify the protest.

The panchayat also formed an 11-member committee of khap leaders to make efforts to bring both factions of the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) on one platform for strengthening the protest. The committee would hold a meeting of both factions soon.

Jaivir Singh, president of Kundu Khap, said the panchayat had also decided to ensure indefinite dharna by farmers in all 10 districts where the khap had a significant influence.

“Khaps are quite active in Rohtak, Jhajjar, Sonepat, Jind, Hisar, Panipat, Charkhi Dadri, Bhiwani, Kaithal and Fatehabad districts. The farmers are already staging an indefinite dharna in some districts but khap leaders of other districts have been asked to help the farmers to start a dharna in other districts to exert more pressure on the government,” he said.

Representatives of around 80 khaps from various districts attended the panchayat and expressed their views to bolster the agitation, he claimed.

Om Prakash Dhankar, coordinator of the sarv khap panchayat and president of the Dhankar Khap, said they would wait for the government’s response before taking a decision.

“If the demands are not met, the khaps may contemplate to vote against the BJP and resist the entry of BJP leaders to their villages. The final call will be taken after holding another meeting after the deadline,” Dhankar added.

Balwant Nambardar, president of the Phogat Khap, said khap leaders stood with the protesting farmers, but also wanted to unite the SKM factions.

The demands of the farmers include legal guarantee of MSP, execution of the Swaminathan Commission’s recommendations, pension for farmers and farm labourers, no hike in electricity tariff and withdrawal of police cases.

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