Protesting farmers to decide on marching to Delhi on Nov 6

All constituents of the umbrella federation of farmers, Samyukt Kisan Morcha, will meet here on November 6 to decide whether the venue of protests should be shifted to Delhi in the wake of the authorities removing the barricades built near the protest venues at Singhu, Tikri and Ghazipur on the borders of Delhi. A meeting of the nine-member steering committee of the SKM left the decision to the general body.

The SKM, meanwhile, has called upon farmers in all the adjoining States of Delhi to come to protest sites in large numbers to strengthen all the protests. “This is important in the current situation,” an SKM statement said on Sunday.

‘Opposition confident’

There were also speculations that the Centre may withdraw the three farm laws ahead of the Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh and Punjab. The Opposition Congress had also said that the Centre will have to remove the three farm laws too as they removed the barricades.

“We are aware that there are rumours that the Centre may repeal the farm laws. But as of now, there is no word from the Centre on this. We are constituting with the protests,” an SKM leader told BusinessLine.

Meanwhile, at Tikri Border, in addition to traffic passage that was already allowed by the protesting farmers, a passage has been made for the movement of two-wheelers and ambulances. “The barricades have been removed by the Delhi Police as they came under pressure from the Supreme Court. From day one, we have been maintaining that our intention is to sit in Delhi,” SKM leader Balkaran Singh Brar said.