New Delhi (IANS): Almost 15 months after the agitation began, triggered by the now-repealed three farm laws, the Samyukt Kisan Morcha on Thursday said they have suspended their protests after positive assurances from the government on their demands, but said a review would be taken on January 15.

“We are happy with the letter from the government. We plan to celebrate our win and return from the campsites at Delhi borders and other locations on December 11,” one of the leaders of the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM), Yudhvir Singh said.

He, however, said, there would be a review meeting of the SKM leaders at Singhu Border again on January 15 to assess if the government has lived up to its words.

“Our current agitation stands suspended. Battle has been won and the war to ensure farmers’ rights, especially to secure MSP as a legal entitlement for all farmers, will continue,” the SKM statement on the 378th day of the agitation in Delhi said.

The farmers wanted to celebrate on Friday itself, however, in view of the solemn occasion of the funeral of Chief of Defence Staff Gen Bipin Rawat, who perished in a helicopter crash with 12 others on Wednesday, the celebrations will take place on Saturday, when the farmers return to their homes. The SKM leaders’ meeting started with a two-minute silence to the deceased in the crash.

The letter from the government had been in the making for two days as the farmers demanded additional assurances not mentioned in the earlier two drafts. The current one promises formation of a Committee that will include farmers’ representatives to discuss how to arrive at the minimum support price (MSP) among other demands.

The SKM said, “We dedicate the fabulous and historic victory of the struggle to around 715 martyrs of the movement, including those in Lakhimpur Kheri,” and added, “Farmers’ unity, peace and patience has been the key to the victory, and this will not be allowed to erode in any circumstance. We shall collectively stay alert and ensure that promises are kept.”

 

THE government’s letter, signed by Sanjay Agrawal, Secretary, Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, was finalised after the farmers suggested additions/deletions over two drafts. However, there are certain gaps between the demands raised by the farmers after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced to repeal the three contentious farm laws and those promised by the government.

Although it gives the impression that both parties have climbed down on certain issues, experts said the main issue of farm laws repeal has historic ramification and that when issues such as MSP will take time to evolve and resolve, the content of the letter should not be held against the farmers.

To start with, Modi had on November 19 promised to form a committee to discuss all farm-related issues, including the Minimum Support Price (MSP). The farmers had then declined to accept it and declared that their agitation would continue till the time a law ensures MSP for all farmers and for all produce.

The letter on Thursday promised to form a committee, which will include farmers’ representatives, and one of the mandates would be to derive how to ensure that farmers get MSP, and the status quo will continue for MSP procurement as of now.

The second demand was withdrawal of cases against the farmers booked during the nearly 15-month-long agitation.

Agrawal claimed that the governments of Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Haryana — all BJP ruled states incidentally — have agreed to withdraw all such cases with immediate effect.

He also promised that cases lodged by the Centre’s related departments and agencies and by the administrations of Delhi and all the Union Territories would be withdrawn with immediate effect too.

“The government of India will appeal to the other states to withdraw similar cases too,” the Secretary assured.

The letter mentioned that Uttar Pradesh and Haryana governments have given in principle agreement to pay compensation to the farmers (assumed to be the same as mentioned by the SKM in its letters — for those who lost their lives during the more than a year of agitation) and that the government of Punjab has already made a public announcement regarding the same.

Incidentally, earlier last week, the government had told the Lok Sabha that it does not have any data related to farmers’ deaths and hence there was no question of paying compensation to anyone.

Agrawal also promised to hold a meeting of all the stakeholders on the issue of power bills impacting the farmers, only after which the Electricity Bill would be introduced.

On the issue of decriminalising stubble burning, the letter said that the provisions are already in place in the law already passed (Commission for Air Quality Management law).

Stating that the above five assurances are enough to meet the long-pending demands of the farmers, the letter said, “There seems to be no reason to continue the agitation. Hence the farmers are requested to end it.”

The letter, however, did not find any mention of the issue of removal of Union Minister of State for Home, Ajay Mishra Teni, whose son was allegedly involved in the Lakhimpur Kheri violence of October 3.

Agriculture expert Devinder Sharma said, “One cannot disregard the fact that the farmers’ agitation has ensured repeal of the three farm laws. It is akin to the pulling down of the Berlin Wall. Had that not happened, the farmers would have been at the mercy of the corporates. The farmers have pulled down the market edifice.”

Citing examples from the US and Canada where prices of wheat have come down seven times and six times compared to those in 1860s, respectively, he said, “Only 1.5 per cent people are farmers in the US and even those are saddled with bankruptcy to the tune of $425 billion. What our farmers have achieved will have global ramifications. The message is loud and clear that only guaranteed MSP can make it viable.”

To a question whether the committee proposed by the government on MSP and other issues will bring about an acceptable solution given the track record of the government, Sharma said, “We all are keeping our fingers crossed.”

ALMOST 15 months after the farmers’ agitation began against the (now scrapped) farm laws and other issues, the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM), an umbrella body of farmer unions that led the protest, said on Thursday that it has suspended the agaitation after receiving positive assurances from the government on their demands, adding that the borders of Delhi will be cleared by Saturday. The SKM also said that it would hold a review meeting on January 15.

The agitation continued even after the three farm laws — Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020; Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill, 2020; and Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill 2020 — were repealed by the Parliament, as the farmers’ stuck to their demands with legal backing for minimum support price (MSP) for all farmers being the prime demand.

Following is a timeline since these were introduced as Ordinances, led to the farmers’ agitation till Thursday’s announcement by SKM to suspend the agitation:

June 5, 2020: Centre brings in three Ordinances claiming these will bring in reforms that are long pending; farmers will be able to sell their produce at better prices.

July-August, 2020: Protests erupt in parts of Punjab against the three farm Bills

September 14, 2020: Government introduces the three Bills in Lok Sabha

September 17, 2020: Lok Sabha passes all three farm Bills without debate

September 20, 2020: Rajya Sabha passes the Bills by voice vote

September 24, 2020: Punjab farmers declare rail-roko agitation

September 27, 2020: President gives assent to the three farm laws

November 2020: Samyukta Kisan Morcha formed as a consortium of more than two dozen farmers’ organisations, mostly from Punjab, but others join in too

November 26, 2020: Farmers’ march towards Delhi begins, police put hurdles in many ways, including by digging up highways and spreading nails on roads

November 27, 2020: Farmers in large numbers reach Singhu border, Tikri border, Ghazipur border, bring in tractors and trolleys, set pandals, langars etc.

November 28, 2020: Government offers to talk with a condition that farmers shift to Burari; farmers demand Ram Lila Maidan as protest venue.

December 3-9, 2020: Government starts talks with farmers, farmers’ leaders reject government’s proposal of amendment to the three laws

December 11, 2020: Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) approaches Supreme Court against the three farm laws

January 7-12, 2021: Supreme Court accepts to hear the case; stays implementation of the three laws and appoints a committee to make recommendations

January 20-25, 2021: Farmers reject government’s offers to stay the farm laws for 18 months and insist on repeal

January 26, 2021: Farmers’ tractor rally on Republic Day; major clash with police; a set of protesters damage Red Fort, hoist Khalsa flag along with the tricolour

January 27, 2021: A day after Red Fort drama, Delhi Police forcibly put up barricades at all the borders where farmers’ groups are protesting

February 14, 2021: Bengaluru-based young activist Disha Ravi arrested for editing and spreading ‘toolkit’ in support of farmers’ agitation

March 5, 2021: Resolution passed by Punjab Vidhan Sabha demanding withdrawal of the three laws

March 19, 2021: Supreme Court appointed committee submits its report

May 27, 2021: Farmers observe ‘black day’ to mark six months of agitation

June 5, 2021: ‘Sampoorn Krantikari Diwas’ (Total Revolution Day) by farmers mark one year of Ordinances that paved the way for three farm laws

July 22, 2021: ‘Kisan Sansad’ starts at Jantar Mantar parallelly with the Monsoon Session of Parliament

August 7, 2021: 14 opposition parties’ leaders decide to visit ‘Kisan Sansad’

September 5, 2021: ‘Kisan Mahapanchayat’ held at Muzaffarnagar; farmers declare to oust UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Prime Minister Narendra Modi

September 27, 2021: ‘Bharat Bandh’ call by farmers’ consortium gets mixed response; farmers do not enter Delhi, most action in north-west Indian states

September 7, 2021: ‘Kisan Mahapanchayat’ held at Karnal, action shifts to Haryana

October 4, 2021: Four farmers among those killed when a car runs over protesting farmers at Lakhimpur Kheri in UP

November 17, 2021: Supreme Court appoints retired high court judge to probe Lakhimpur Kheri case

November 19, 2021: Prime Minister Narendra Modi announces that three farm laws would be repealed

November 21, 2021: Samyukt Kisan Morcha writes to Prime Minister; puts forth six demands, including legal backing for MSP

November 22, 2021: Family members of martyrs of Lakhimpur Kheri massacre felicitated by SKM at the Lucknow Kisan Mahapanchayat

November 23, 2021: Anil Ghanwat, member, Supreme Court appointed committee on farm laws, writes to apex court to release committee’s report

November 24, 2021: Union Cabinet clears ‘The Farm Laws Repeal Bill, 2021′

November 26, 2021: Farmers’ gatherings across India marks Samyukt Kisan Morcha’s one year of agitation

November 28, 2021: SKM suspends planned ‘Tractor March to Sansad’; thousands of farmers participate in Shetkari Kamgar Mahapanchayat in Mumbai’s Azad Maidan

November 29, 2021: First the Lok Sabha, then the Rajya Sabha pass the ‘Farm Laws Repeal Bill 2021’ by voice vote, SKM issues cautious reaction

November 29, 2021: Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar hails Prime Minister, saying, “No difference between what he says and does”

November 30, 2021: Government seeks five names from agitating farmers for inclusion in the proposed committee on MSP

November 30, 2021: Government tells Lok Sabha, no data pertaining to either cases against or the number of farmers who died during the agitation and hence no question of providing financial assistance to anyone

December 1, 2021: ‘Farm Laws Repeal Act 2021’ gets Presidential assent

December 4, 2021: With no concrete promise from the government, SKM declares to continue agitation; declares names of five members to negotiate with government

December 7, 2021: Government sends out first draft of its letter to SKM, the latter seeks further clarification

December 9, 2021: SKM declares to suspend agitation after receiving positive assurances from the government on their demands; to review situation on January 15, 2022