Farmer unions’ umbrella body Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) formed a five-member committee on December 4, 2021, to discuss the movement’s as yet pending demands with the central government.

SKM clarified that this is not an "MSP committee" as was asked by the government previously. Instead, leaders Ashok Dhawale, Balbir Rajewal, Gurnam Charuni, Shivkumar Kakka and Yudhvir Singh will negotiate with government representatives to resolve pending demands listed as follows: 

- legal guarantee to Minimum Support Price (MSP) for any agricultural produce that they sell; 

- withdrawal of Electricity (Amendment) Bill and deletion of penalising provisions related to Delhi Air Quality regulation; 

- withdrawal of cases against protesting farmers; 

- rehabilitation and compensation for the kin of people who were martyred during the struggle.

After the Centre declared that it has no data on martyred farmers (farmers groups estimated toll to be around 708 as of Saturday),  farmers also demanded land allotment for their memorial. Additionally, they demand the immediate sacking and arrest of Union Minister Ajay Mishra for his alleged role in the Lakhimpur Kheri killings.

“This 5-member Committee will in turn also decide on state-level teams that might have to work along with some state governments on some of the issues above,” said SKM in a press release.

Earlier, farmers suspended their marches during the Parliament’s winter session, hoping the government will respond to other peasant concerns as well. However, farmers were disappointed with the undemocratic manner in which the repeal of the three contentious laws were repealed.

Noting the lack of a formal response from the government regarding such demands, the SKM declared the farmers’ agitation will continue. Leaders said the ruling regime “has chosen to work informally and in a piecemeal fashion” of responding to farmers’ concerns.

“Farm unions have a bitter experience from the past of securing only oral assurances, ending their agitation and finding that governments renege on the meagre oral assurances too. We will not end this agitation without formal responses on each of the issues being raised by us,” said farmer leader Balbir Singh Rajewal in the joint statement.

The SKM stressed that all FIRs against agitating farmers and movement supporters must be dismissed. Allowing the Government of India two days to give a response, the next SKM meeting will take place on December 7.

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