Farmers mahapanchayat in Lucknow not to be called off, says SKM

Kumar said the SKM would watch how the government actually implemented the repeal

ITDC INDIA EPRESS/ ITDC NEWS R The Uttar Pradesh unit of the Samyukt Kisan Morcha has said that the mahapanchayat planned to be held in Lucknow on November 22 will not be postponed.

Santosh Kumar, member of the state committee of the SKM, said “The meeting might be in the form of a celebration at the PM’s announcement (of the intended repeal of the three farm laws) or to discuss the implementation of the minimum support price (MSP) but it will not be postponed.”

A meeting of SKM functionaries is planned later in the day on Friday to discuss the contours of the protest.

Kumar said that attendance at the mahapanchayat would be limited—at best about 1 lakh persons—as this was a busy period in farming.

In UP, wheat and rice sell for just half the MSP, said Kumar. “If they were to be sold at the actual price, farming would no longer be non-profitable for small farmers. To get a guarantee on the MSP is a longer fight,” he said.

Kumar said the SKM would also watch how the government actually implemented the repeal. “We need to monitor the whole process. It may be just an announcement for the sake of the election,” he said. He added that the BJP knew that the farm laws would ruin its chances in the elections. “They have understood the ground realities well,” he said.

Assembly elections in the state are due in early 2022. According to some estimates, almost 150 seats would have seen an impact of the farmers' protest against the three agricultural laws. “It will be a betrayal of the sacrifice of our brothers in Lakhimpur if the fight was given up at this juncture,” said Kumar.

On October 3, eight people were killed when an SUV ran into protesting farmers in Lakhimpur Kheri anviolence ensued.

“The announcement is welcome but 700 farmers have sacrificed themselves in the protest. It cannot just be called off on the basis of an announcement by the PM,” said Kumar.