Farmers are celebrating the first anniversary of their successful protests against the centre’s three controversial farm bills on November 26, 2021. Farmers were expected to hold a demonstration on the occasion to mark a year of their successful yet journey full of hindrances. Heavy gatherings have been seen at different borders. Singhu, Tikri, and Ghazipur borders are filled with protestors. A large number of jeeps, tractors, and cars were seen to be heading to Singhu, Tikri, and Ghazipur borders, which are the main sites of yearlong protests in the national capital. The farmer’s movement had begun on the same day in the year 2020 with the call of “Delhi Chalo”. The states far from Delhi will be celebrating the anniversary by organizing rallies, morchas, and dharnas.
Despite the Prime Minister’s surprising announcement for the repeal of three farm laws on the occasion of Gurupurab a week back, protestors and the farm bodies have decided not to call off the protest until the bills are formally repealed in the parliament and all the demands are fulfilled.
The Samyukt Kisan Morcha which is the umbrella body of various farm unions said that a huge number of farmers will be arriving in Delhi to mark one year of the agitation. Trade unions in Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh, and Karnataka have announced their participation in the protest with farmers held at district headquarters. Tractor rallies and marches will be taken out in Kolkata and different parts of West Bengal. A gigantic Kisan-mazdoor mahapanchayat is organized to be held on November 28 in Mumbai. Samyukt Kisan Morcha is also going to organize a meeting on November 27 at the Singhu Border to make decisions regarding the further plan of action.
This farmer’s movement is being seen as one of the major challenges the Prime Minister had to face in his tenure since the time he came into power in 2014. Also, the rollback of the bills came just ahead of the elections in Punjab and Uttar Pradesh; this in itself raises many serious questions in regard to the psyche of the ruling party. Is this rollback really taken in the favour of the farmers who have been sitting on the borders for a year and have faced almost all the natural, social, and political hindrances, or is this just a clickbait for the citizens of the country to again come up as a clean slate before the upcoming elections.
“We have been here for the last one year. We want the government to repeal the three black laws. We want it in writing. We don’t want just vocal statements,” one of the protestors at the Tikri Border said.
Samyukt Kisan Morcha wrote an open letter to the Prime Minister days after his unanticipated announcement of withdrawal of the argumentative bills. The farm bodies have put forward their demands and made it clear that they won’t move until the demands are met. The six demands made by SKM in the letter written to PM are:
- MSP based on the inclusive cost of the production of the crop should be made a legal entitlement, and all farmers should be guaranteed the MSP announced by the government on every crop.
- Withdrawal of the draft ‘Electricity Amendments Bill, 2020/2021.
- To provide compensation to the families of all the farmers who lost their lives in the agitation against the bill and land should be allotted at the Singhu border to build a memorial for the deceased farmer.
- Withdrawal of all the cases against all the farmers that have been charged in the last year.
- Removal of penal provisions against farmers in the ‘Commission for Air Quality Management in the National Capital Region and Adjoining Areas Act, 2021.
- The arrest of Union Minister of State Ajay Mishra, whose son allegedly killed protesting farmers in Lakhimpur Kheri.
Also Read: Why is 26th November celebrated as Constitution Day?
