Rahul Gandhi moves adjournment motion in Lok Sabha seeking compensation for farmers' kin

Congress Lok Sabha MP Rahul Gandhi filed an adjournment motion in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday, December 7, demanding compensation for the families of farmers who died during the protest against agricultural laws, reported ANI. Previously, the government declared in a response to the Parliament that it had not kept track of farmers who died in the agitation.

Meanwhile, farmers' protests look set continue until a formal answer is received from the Central government on a variety of concerns, according to an official statement released on Saturday by the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM), federation of farmer unions.

Rahul Gandhi moves adjournment motion in LS

On Saturday, a meeting was held to examine the future course of the farmers' protest, which is based on pending farmer requests. Among the demands are a legal guarantee for the Minimum Support Price (MSP) and compensation for the kin of farmers who died during the agitation.

The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) is holding another meeting on Tuesday to deliberate on the future path of the agitation, more than a week after the Centre officially repealed the three agrarian laws in the winter session of Parliament. This comes just two days after farmer unions announced the formation of a five-member group to reopen discussions with the government over unmet requests.

Farmers Ashok Dhawale, Gurnam Singh Chaduni, Shiv Kumar Kaka, Yudhvir Singh, and Balbir Singh Rawal are the five members of the committee.

The SKM is an umbrella organisation for a number of farm organisations that have been protesting near the Delhi border, demanding that Parliament overturn three agriculture regulations passed last year.

The Parliament's winter session began on November 29, and is scheduled to end on December 23.

What are the demands of SKM?

• MSP based on the whole cost of production (C2+50%) be declared a legal right for all farmers for all agricultural products.
• Withdraw the Centre's planned Electricity Act Amendment Bill, 2020/2021.
• Remove the sections in the Commission for Air Quality Management in the National Capital Region and Adjoining Areas Act, 2021, that penalise farmers.
• Cases against hundreds of farmers arrested during the demonstration in Delhi, Haryana, Chandigarh, Uttar Pradesh, and other states be dropped immediately.
• Ajay Mishra, the Union Minister of State for Home, be removed from the Union Council of Ministers and arrested in connection with the violence in Lakhimpur Kheri.
• Compensation and rehabilitation be provided to 700 farmers who died as a result of the agitation. A monument in commemoration of the martyred farmers be built on land near the Singhu boundary.

(with inputs from ANI)

Image: PTI