Ready to accept all demands of farmers, says Centre in a fresh letter

New Delhi : An urgent meeting of the Samyukt Kisan Morcha’s five-member committee is currently underway in Delhi to decide the future course of the protest held on the border of the national capital. According to media reports, the government at the Centre has written a fresh letter to SKM accepting their all demands, including the dropping of all cases against farmers during the protest.

Moments before the urgent meeting, Ashok Dhawale, one of the members of SKM’s 5-member committee said, "We appreciate that the government is ready for talks and is giving something in writing. But the proposal had a few flaws, so last night, we sent it back with some amendments and are awaiting their response."

He added, "The formation of an MSP-focused committee is needed, including members from the farmers’ union. The government also said that the cases registered against us will be taken back after we finish the movement, which is wrong. We don’t like sitting here in the cold. The compensation has been approved theoretically, we need something concrete like the Punjab model. They also promised to take back the Electricity bill, but now they want to discuss it with the stakeholders and then put it up in Parliament. It’s contradictory."

Earlier, it was claimed that the government has asked farmers to first end the protest and then the cases will be dropped against the farmers.

Addressing the press conference after the meeting on Tuesday, SKM’s Balbir Singh Rajewal said that they will not accept the government’s condition that cases against farmers will be withdrawn after agitation is called off.

“Government’s proposal says after we end the movement, then only will they withdraw cases. We are apprehensive about it. Government should immediately begin with the (cases’ withdrawal) procedure. Final decision to be taken at tomorrow’s meeting,” said Balbir Singh Rajewal.