FARMERS SUSPEND STIR

GOVERNMENT  having accepted their demands, the protesting farmers have suspended their prolonged agitation. Protesting farmers will vacate the protest sites on December 11, said farmer leader Darshan Pal Singh. ‘’We have decided to suspend our agitation. We will hold a review meeting on January  15. If Govt doesn’t fulfill its promises, we could resume our agitation, said farmer leader Gurnam Singh Charuni following a meeting of Samyukta Kisan Morcha in Delhi. Protesting farmers have received a letter from the Govt of India with promises of forming a committee on MSP and withdrawing cases against them immediately. ’As far as the matter of compensation is concerned, UP and Haryana have given in-principle consent,” it reads. The  SKM, an umbrella organisation of over 30 Kisan unions, had been spreading the movement since November last. Among the demands they had been agitation against were repealing three farm laws, making MSP a legal entitlement, payment of ex-gratia for those who died during the agitation at par with Punjab and withdrawal of cases. Union Home Minister Amit Shah is telephonically in touch with SKM leaders.  “We have accepted the revised draft given by the centre over our demands in regard to farmer’s agitation against three farm laws, said Gurnam Singh Charuni. The GOI  has agreed to constitute a committee to recommend how Minimum Support Price can be made a statutory obligation for agricultural produce. SKM has nominated five members for the high-powered panel. The senior leaders have also accepted assurances that police cases against farmers in connection with the farm laws agitation and for stubble burning will be immediately suspended. Stubble burning has been decriminalized. On the question of the contentious Electricity (Amendment) Bill, the farmers have been promised that the bill will be tabled after discussion with them. SKM claims   financial compensation to the families of the   more than 700 growers who died during the  protests which mostly confined to Punjab, Haryana and Western Uttar Pradesh .edited by PK Chakravarty