CHANDIGARH: Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM), the umbrella body of the farmers unions which spearheaded the 2020-21 farmers protest, has decided not to attend the meeting to be held on January 3 at Panchkula with the Supreme Court-appointed committee formed to look into farmers’ issues. Farmer leaders and senior SKM members Balbir Singh Rajewal, President of BKU (Rajewal) and Prem Singh Bhangu, President AIKF said that Samyukta Kisan Morcha has decided not to attend the meeting. The mandate given to the high-powered committee is to reach out to the agitating farmers at the Shambu border to convince them to immediately remove their tractors and trollies, tents and other accessories from the national highway to enable the civil and police administration of both Punjab and Haryana to open the highway.”There is a running reference that the high-powered committee and both the states are considering the farmers’ demands dispassionately and objectively. Therefore from the terms of reference of this committee, it’s clear that there is no mandate given to it to provide the legal status to the MSP and debt waiver of farmers and agriculture workers,’’ the leaders said. They appealed to the Supreme Court to direct the central government to concede the genuine demands of the farmers and initiate immediate talks between the government and the agitating farmers to save the life of farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal who has been on fast-unto-death for last 35 days. His health condition is becoming critical day by day. Meanwhile, the farmers under the banner of Samyukta Kisan Morcha (non-political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha who have been sitting on the Shambhu and Khanuari border since February last year have decided to intensify the morcha at Shambhu with a gathering on January 6. Farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher who is leading the agitation at Shambhu, even as Dallewal continues with his fast-unto-death at Khanauri, said that their agitation will continue till all the demands of the farmers are met. Pandher demanded that the Punjab assembly roll back the privatisation of the mandis in Punjab in its upcoming session.
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