Samyukta Kisan Morcha, an umbrella body of over 40protesting farmer unions, on Friday, wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi,urging resumption of talks over three farm laws they have been agitatingagainst at Delhi borders since November last year.
Though there had been several rounds of talks between theadamant protesting farmers and the Centre, over the contentiously passed threefarm laws, however, have failed to reach the conclusion.
Taking a step forward to seek the government’s attention onthe matter, the farmers’ body has asked the government to reinitiate a dialogue.
It may be noted here that farmers had met the government panelon January 22 in which no conclusion could be drawn. On January 26, whenfarmers’ held a tractor rally to Delhi from the protesting sites of Singhu, Tikri , and Ghazipur borders, reports of violence erupted. Following this, the Centre hadshown a cold behavior towards the protesting farmers and had nearly subdued thematter.
In the latest statement issued, SKM said, “Today, theSamyukta Kisan Morcha has written a letter to the Prime Minister, asking forthe resumption of talks with farmers. This letter touches upon several aspectsof the farmers' movement and the ignorant attitude of the government.”
Considering the potential threat pandemic can cause, SKMsaid “we do not wish to expose anyone to the health hazards.”
Reiterating the need to continue to protest it added, “We cannotalso give up on the struggle, as it is a matter of life and death, and also offuture generations.”
"Any democratic government would have repealed thethree laws that have been rejected by the farmers in whose name these wereenacted, and seized the opportunity to provide a legal guarantee of MSP to allfarmers…..as the Head of the government of the largest democracy in the world,the onus of resuming a serious and sincere dialogue with the farmers lies withyou," the letter read.
Meanwhile, farmers body have decided t observe May 26 as 'blackday' to mark six months of their protest at Delhi borders. Farmer leader BalbirSingh Rajewal had appealed to public to hoist black flags at their houses,vehicles and shops on May 26 to demonstrate protest against the black farmlaws.
Pertinently, hundreds of farmers have been camping andprotesting at the Delhi borders since November 2020. The sole demand of thesefarmers’ is to get the new farm laws- Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce(Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, Farmers' (Empowerment and Protection)Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020 and the EssentialCommodities (Amendment) Act, 2020, to be rolled back to safeguard the agrarianstate and the farmers’ future. They further seek legislation to ensure minimumsupport price for crops.