Won't budge till cases withdrawn: Farmers

Mukesh Tandon

Tribune News Service

Sonepat, December 1

Members of the Haryana Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) today said the movement would not end till the government withdrew the cases registered against the farmers in the state.

This was decided at the SKM meeting held at kisan andolan office at the Singhu border here today. The final decision on the future of the stir will be announced only after the SKM’s next meeting scheduled for December 4.

As many as 26 farmers’ associations of Haryana participated in today’s meeting, which was presided over by farmer leader Mandeep Singh Nathwan. Besides, the BKU (Charuni) unions maintained distance from the Haryana SKM’s meeting.

Nathwan said the government should cancel over 200 criminal cases registered against 48,000 farmers in the state at the earliest.

Demanding a concrete proposal on the formation of a MSP panel, farmer leaders asked the Centre to clarify if and when it would be formed.

Compensate kin of dead

The govt should give relief and jobs to the families of the deceased farmers. Those seriously injured must also be compensated. —Mandeep S Nathwan, Farm leader

200 48,000 Criminal cases

Farmers booked in state

SKM member Inderjeet Singh said the Haryana unit had not got any formal invitation from the CM’s office so far. “If we receive a formal invitation, we will go and discuss our issues with the CM,” he said, adding that all farm unions were united and final decision would be announced only after all issues were collectively discussed.

Besides, leaders of all 32 farm unions of Punjab held a meeting that was presided over by Ruldu Singh Mansa at Singhu today and announced that the movement would continue and noone would leave the protest site till the government fulfilled all pending demands.

Mansa, Harinder Singh Lakhowal, Mukesh Chander, Bhog Singh Mansa and Balkar Singh Brar at a press conference said the SKM had sent a letter to the Centre about the remaining pending demands. “We have decided everything about the movement. We have even finalised the names of the representatives from Punjab for the MSP committee and forwarded those to the Centre,” Mansa said, adding: “But the government should give us a written reply.”

Besides, the SKM said the farmers’ unions stood united and the government should stop its “divisive” agenda. The SKM also condemned the Centre’s response in Parliament that they had no data about those who died during the yearlong stir, refusing to disburse any financial aid.