Our movement is suspended, not withdrawn; talks with Centre on: BKU leader Rakesh Tikait

NEW DELHI: Bhartiya Kisan Union leader Rakesh Tikait has said that the movement of farmers against the farm laws has been suspended for the time being and not fully withdrawn since the talks with the Centre is over various issues.

“I am thankful to everyone who has been with us. I also extend my gratitude to the people who ran langars, villagers who brought essentials for us. Talks underway with the Centre after withdrawal of 3 farm laws. Our movement is suspended, not withdrawn,” BKU leader Rakesh Tikait said on Wednesday.

Tikait made these remarks as the last batch of farmers, who had been protesting against the now-repealed three central farm laws, began vacating the Ghazipur protest site at the Uttar Pradesh-Delhi border.

Besides Ghazipur, Singhu and Tikri borders had been the other protest sites where farmers had assembled to protest against the Centre's three farm laws.

According to the Delhi Police, almost all barricades at the Singhu border that were erected to prevent the protesting farmers from moving towards the national capital had been dismantled now.

Farmers started leaving the protest site on the Delhi-Haryana border on Saturday after the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) suspended the agitation following the repeal of the Centre's three farm laws and the government conceding to its other demands.

A senior police officer said the concrete barriers and other obstacles have been cleared from the Singhu border. However, the road is not open for traffic yet.

Besides the Singhu border, farmers, mainly from Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, had laid siege to Delhi's Tikri and Ghazipur borders on November 26 last year.

Another police officer said the roads have been cleared for commuters at the Tikri border and traffic is plying on the stretch. Farmer leaders said the Ghazipur border protest site will be cleared by Wednesday morning. Small batches of protesters are still there.

The farm laws were repealed by Parliament on November 29. 

After the farmers leave the site completely, the officials of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) will inspect the road to assess any damage to the infrastructure. 

However, there is no official word on when the expressway will open for traffic. It may be noted that the three controversial farm laws were repealed by Parliament on November 29.

The farmers had on November 26 last year had laid siege also on the Tikri and Ghazipur borders of Delhi to protest against the three laws and demand their repeal.

That demand was accepted when Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while addressing the nation on November 19, announced that the three contentious laws will be repealed. The Union Cabinet swiftly cleared the bill to repeal the three laws, which was subsequently passed by Parliament on November 29.

A few days later, the Centre agreed to the pending demands of the farmers, including those on minimum support price (MSP) and police cases. The three controversial farm laws were: The Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, the Farmers' (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and the Farm Services Act, 2020 and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020.