Farmers to mark nine months of their agitation against farm laws with a national convention on August 26

By PTI

NEW DELHI: Farmers protesting against the Centre’s three contentious agri laws will organise a national convention on August 26 to mark the completion of nine months of their agitation, according to a statement from the Samyukt Kisan Morcha on Monday.

“To mark the completion of nine months of historic, continuous peaceful protests by lakhs of farmers, Samyukt Kisan Morcha has decided to hold a national convention on August 26.

“This all-India convention will witness the participation of representatives of hundreds of farmers’ organisations which have been part of the ongoing protests locally, regionally and nationally,” the umbrella body of over 40 farm unions said.

Details regarding the venue of the national convention will be worked out later, a farmer leader said.

Thousands of farmers from across the country, particularly Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, have been camping at Delhi borders, including Singhu, Tikri and Ghazipur, since November last year.

The three laws that the farmers are demanding to be repealed, they claim, will do away with the Minimum Support Price system, leaving them at the mercy of big corporations.

Over 10 rounds of talks with the government that has been projecting the laws as major agricultural reforms have failed to break the deadlock between the two parties.

Before their national convention on August 26, the farmers will also mark the completion of 36 years of the Narmada Bachao Ancholan, for which a ‘Narmada Kisan Mazdoor Jan Sansad’ is being organised in Badwani in Madhya Pradesh, the SKM said.

“On August 17, to mark the completion of 36 years of Narmada Bachao Andolan, ‘Narmada Kisan Mazdoor Jan Sansad’ will be organised in Badwani.”

“Several SKM leaders are expected to take part in this event, which will see the participation of thousands of farmers from various places in Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Maharashtra in addition to villagers from numerous villages of Narmada valley,” the body said.

It added that to strengthen their agitation against the three contentious laws, farmers from southern India have been arriving at the protest sites on Delhi borders.

“More farmers from distant locations are joining the protest sites. Hundreds of farmers from Tamil Nadu reached the Singhu border yesterday. A contingent of farmers from Karnataka addressed the gathering at Ghazipur border today,” the SKM said.