Claiming that farmers are aware that Centre wants them to get exhausted but they are prepared for a year of agitation, senior farmers’ leader Shivkumar Sharma ‘Kakkaji’ here on Thursday said that farmers won’t retreat unless demands are met.
Sharma was addressing a press conference in Bhopal alongside fellow farm union leader sardar Jagjit Singh Dallewal.
Kakkaji who was the chief architect of 2017 farm agitation in Madhya Pradesh cautioned the Centre of not celebrating prematurely saying farmers are still adamant on two key demands—rollback of farm bills and act for Minimum Support Price (MSP).
“We aren’t exhausted, we haven’t bowed down to the Centre; we are into a dialogue with the Centre and will get our demands fulfilled,” affirmed Kakkaji. He clarified that governments from outside the country have no business in this as this was a matter between farmers and the Government of India.
It’s lengthy fight of farmers’ freedom and we have a long road ahead, added the senior leader.
“Farmers’ are fighting to save their land as the farm bills first offered a glimmer of hope but now are pushing farmers into a dark tunnel,” added the farm union leader, the national convener of Rashtriya Kisan Mazdur Sangh (RKMS) at Gandhi Bhawan in Bhopal.
Thousands of farmers primarily from UP, Bihar and Punjab amid freezing temperature are agitating in national capital since Nov 26 over several demands including roll back of farm bills and an act assuring Minimum Support Price to the farmers.
Carried out by “Sanyukt Kisan Morcha’, the agitation has seen demise of 44 farmers till now. Both Sharma and Dallewal are members of seven- member committee running the agitation. Earlier, upon their arrival in Bhopal, Kakkaji and Dallewal were accorded a warm welcome.