by Jayanta Bhattacharya

On November 29, Lok Sabha passed the Farm Laws Repeal Bill, 2021. Within a month, protesters sitting at Delhi’s borders retreated, ending a year-long siege of the National Capital.

“We agreed to withdraw the sit-in demonstrations last year when the Union government rolled back the ‘black’ (farm) laws. They had also promised several things, including forming a committee to look into the MSP (Minimum Support Price) issue,” says Rakesh Tikait to The Probe. Tikait, the farmer leader and the former National Spokesperson of the Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU), became the poster boy of the farmers’ agitation in India.

“The struggle will continue. Expenses are increasing, and the unemployment situation is getting worse. But the government doesn’t want to address these issues,” adds Tikait.

The row over MSP

On the other hand, government sources claim they have tried to reach out to the farmers, but it seems the farmer leaders did not reciprocate. In December, the then Agriculture Secretary issued a letter to the joint platform of protesting unions, Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM). It referred to the main demands of the farmers, which were pending following the repeal of the farm laws. 

The letter said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Narendra Singh Tomar have announced to form a committee on MSP. It will comprise officials from central and state governments, representatives of farm unions, and agriculture scientists as its member. The letter added that the members of the SKM would also be included in the committee. 

The farmers’ associations were also informed that the governments of Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, and Haryana have agreed to withdraw cases against farmers with immediate effect. “The Central government will appeal to other state governments too to start the process to withdraw cases against protestors of the movement,” the letter stated.

Read more
https://theprobe.in/farmers-protest-government-braces-for-another-round-of-nationwide-protests/