Farm Laws Rolled Back, Why Are Farmers Still Protesting? Here's Why

The kisan andolan will go on till the farm laws are formally repealed in parliament, say farm leaders despite Prime Minister Narendra Modi's announcement last week that the three controversial laws are being withdrawn.

The Prime Minister had urged the farmers - who have been camping at the three Delhi borders for almost a year - to return to their homes and fields. He said the laws will be cancelled when parliament reassembles for the winter session later this month.

The protesting farmers have also sought a law on minimum support price and withdrawal of the police cases filed against many of them over the course of their protests.

Farmer leader Balbir Singh Rajewal said that they had “discussed the repeal of farm laws”, after which “some decisions were taken”. Mr Rajewal added that the pre-decided programmes of the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM), an umbrella body of farmers, “will continue as it is”. He told this at the Delhi-Haryana border in Singhu.

These programmes or events include marching to Parliament on November 29 to mark one year of anti-farm law protests, farmers meeting in Lucknow on November 22, and gatherings at the borders surrounding Delhi on November 26.

Soon after the Prime Minister's announcement last week, Bharatiya Kisan Union leader Rakesh Tikait said that the protests will continue. In a tweet in Hindi, he said that the farmers will wait for the day when agricultural laws are repealed in Parliament, and added that along with minimum support prices, the government should also discuss other issues concerning farmers.

While the government has decided to withdraw the three bills, farmers are not satisfied with the decision. This is because the decision does not promise to implement their demands.

The Prime Minister's announcement to cancel the contentious farm laws is expected to provide the BJP with some political dividends. Punjab and Uttar Pradesh — two of the states where the farmer protests have been severe — are due for assembly polls early next year.

Since last year, thousands of farmers from Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan have been protesting at the Delhi borders demanding the cancellation of the three farm laws.

The farmer unions have continued to protest despite facing stiff opposition from the government authorities. Their protest has also affected campaigning in the poll-bound states, with the farmers barring entry of leaders and disrupting meetings.