New Delhi, Dec 12 (Bureau) The over an year-long protest of farmers against the Centre’s agricultural laws came to an end on Saturday, as the protesting farmers started returning home. Celebrations were held at the borders, and in several places across the country, as the ryots called it their victory. Farmers at Singhu, Tikri, and Ghazipur borders took out victory marches as they began their homeward journeys. Tents and other infrastructure created at the borders were dismantled and packed up. While there was jubilation and celebration, farmers also bid emotional farewells to each other as the year-long agitation was suspended by Samyukt Kisan Morcha after the government agreed to form a committee on Minimum Support Price on farmers’ terms. The farm leaders have, however, also warned that the agitation would be started again, if the government goes back on its promises. The most prominent among the demands of the protesting farmers was repeal of the Farm laws, which was done on the first day of the Winter Session of Parliament. Convoys of decked up tractor trolleys and other vehicles blaring victory songs left the borders.
Flowers were showered at them at several places, and farmers were seen celebrating, dancing and singing, as they said they were returning home victorious. After the farmers left, barricades will be removed and roads will be cleared for traffic. The returning farmers were welcomed by Punjab Chief Minister Charanjeet Singh Channi, former Punjab CM Amarinder Singh, Deputy Chief Minister of Haryana Dushyant Chautala, and leader of Opposition in Haryana Bhupinder Singh Hooda. Meanwhile, two farmers, who were returning from the Tikri border, lost their lives and another suffered injuries in a road mishap in Hisar district, while returning to Assa Buttar village in Gidderbaha from the farmers’ protest on Saturday. The deceased have been identified as Sukhdev Singh (40) and Ajaypreet Singh (32). The injured has been identified as Raghbir Singh. The farmer groups under the banner of Samyukt Kisan Morcha called off the agitation on December 8, after the Narendra Modi government announced a committee on the Minimum Support Price issue, comprising government officials, agriculture experts and representatives from the SKM.
The government also agreed to drop charges against all farmers that were filed during the course of the agitation, including stubble burning complaints. On compensation for the farmers who died during the year-long agitation, the Union government said the Uttar Pradesh and Haryana governments have given in-principle approval for the demand, while Punjab has already announced it. In a written reply to the Rajya Sabha on Friday, Agriculture Minister Narendra Tomar said the matter of compensation is a state concern. The farmers’ protests against the three Farm Laws started in Punjab soon after Parliament passed the bill in September, 2020. The peasants gave a call for ‘Dilli Chalo’ (Delhi march) on November 26, 2020, and reached the national capital borders, despite several attempts made to stop them along the way. They sat on a “dharna” on Delhi borders as they were not allowed to enter the city. The sit-in went on for over a year, with numbers swelling, and the roads on these borders protest sites converting into mini villages. The three farm laws were repealed by Parliament on November 29, after Prime Minister Modi in a sudden announcement on November 19, agreed to roll back the three legislation.