Acceding to request of Punjab farmers protesting at Khanauri and Shambhu border points, Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) on Sunday advanced from January 15 to 13 the proposed meeting for deciding on a joint fight. The move came a day after the SKM (Non-Political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM) wrote to the SKM to hold the meeting on January 12 or 13 in the wake of “deteriorating” health of farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal. A six-member committee of SKM, which visited the Khanauri protest site on Friday, had invited the SKM (Non-Political) and KMM for a meeting on January 15 in Patiala for unity among farmer bodies for a joint fight against the Centre to press for farmers’ demands including a legal guarantee to MSP. In a letter to SKM (Non-Political) and the KMM on Sunday, the SKM said after considering the request of protesting farmers in a meeting of its national coordination committee, it has been decided that the meeting will now be held on January 13 at 11 am at Guru Tegh Bahadur gurdwara in Patran, Patiala. The meeting will discuss details of how to carry out a joint struggle by all the three platforms, it said. Surjit Singh Phul, president of BKU Krantikari, a constituent of SKM (Non Political), said, “We had requested the SKM to hold the meeting at Patran and they have agreed to it. Around 5-6 members from SKM (Non-Political) and KMM will sit for the meeting. We hope that something positive comes out of it.” Raminder Singh Patiala, member national coordination committee of SKM, said, “We had a meeting of our NCC on Saturday night in which we decided to hold the meeting with SKM (Non-Political) and KMM on Monday at 11 am at Patran town. Six members of unity committee will sit for the meeting.” P Krishna Prasad, national finance secretary of All India Kisan Sabha, a constituent of SKM, said, “The meeting will decide on modalities of how to run the protest unitedly and also to press the Centre to initiate a dialogue with farmer unions. As of now, PM Narendra Modi is refusing to budge, despite the fact Dallewal’s fast-unto-death entered 48th day on Sunday.” Raminder Singh Patiala, one of the six members of SKM unity committee, said, “We are working towards achieving broader unity on our shared demands so that we can raise our voices together.” —With PTI inputs
