Emotions ran high as the farmers set off for their homes in different states, including Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh, after a successful movement.
Representational image. PTI
Protesting farmers camping at Delhi’s Singhu and Tikri borders will formally be marking their victory against the contentious farm laws, are set to return to their villages in Punjab and Haryana after celebrating the day as ‘Vijay Diwas’.
One year and 14 days after the protests began, the Sanyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM), an umbrella of over 40 farm unions, on 9 December formally announced that it will call off the physical agitation after the Centre agreed on all pending demands including dropping police cases filed against farmers during the protest.
As per reports, farmers intended to celebrate the said Vijay Diwas on 10 December but postponed it to a day later out of respect for India’s first Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Bipin Rawat, who lost his life in an air accident this week and was cremated on Friday. Farmer leader Gurnam Singh Charuni confirming the suspension of the protests, said, “We have decided to suspend our agitation. We will hold a review meeting on 15 January. If the government doesn’t fulfil its promises, we could resume our agitation.”
The farmers lifted blockades on highways at Singhu, Tikri and Ghazipur borders and took out a ‘Victory March’ to celebrate the repeal of three contentious farm laws and the Centre’s written assurance to fulfil their other demands, including constituting a committee for legal guarantee on minimum support price (MSP) for crops.
Emotions ran high as the farmers set off for their homes in different states, including Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh, after a successful movement.
Tractors bedecked with colourful lights rolled out of the protest sites blaring songs of victory while the elderly flaunted their colourful turbans and danced with youngsters.
“Singhu border had become our home for the last one year. This movement united us (farmers) all as we fought together against the black farm laws irrespective of caste, creed and religion. This is a historic moment and the victorious result of the movement is even bigger,” said Kuljeet Singh Aulakh, a farmer from Moga in Punjab, as he embraced his fellow farmers before starting his journey back home.
Farmers start removing tents from their protest site in Singhu on Delhi-Haryana
Jitender Chaudhary, a farmer at Ghazipur border, was busy preparing his tractor-trolley to go back home in Muzaffarnagar of western Uttar Pradesh.
He said that he is going home with hundreds of good memories and victory against the “black” farm laws.
“We are fortunate that we participated in a historic movement against the three farm laws imposed on us by the central government. We have made new friends and gained a different experience here during the agitation,” Chaudhary said.
The farmers are celebrating December 11 as ‘Vijay Diwas’.
Although Parliament had repealed the three farm laws on 29 November, the farmer leaders had said that they would continue their protests till their other demands were met. These include a legal guarantee on minimum support price on crops, withdrawal of cases lodged against the protestors during the farm law agitation and suspension of minister Ajay Mishra from the Union Cabinet, among others.
In the letter, the government has assured that it will form a committee to take a call on the Minimum Support Price and that the cases against the farmers, including those of stubble burning, will be withdrawn.
The Samyukt Kisan Morcha had said on Wednesday evening that their months-long agitation would be called off on Friday, but only after they receive the final copy of the government’s revised proposal accepting their demands.
Their demands were:
o Withdrawal of all agitation-related cases registered during this protest
o A compensation package for the deceased farmers
o Removal of Section 15 of the Commission for Air Quality Management in the National Capital Region and Adjoining Areas Act 2021 which allows penal action against farmers in case of stubble burning
o Withdrawing the “Electricity Amendments Bill, 2020/2021” proposed by Centre
o A committee to look into the demand for a legal guarantee on MSP
On 19 November, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had in a national address announced that his government would be repealing the three contentious farm laws and urged farmers to return home.
With inputs from agencies
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