SKM (Non-Political) Confirms Participation in Fourth Round of Unity Talks

• Feb 27, 2025

After a day of suspense over their participation in the fourth round of unity talks scheduled in Chandigarh on Thursday, the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) leaders have finally decided to attend the discussions.

Earlier in the day, SKM (Non-Political) leaders held an emergency meeting at the Khanauri border following a health deterioration of their leader, Jagjit Singh Dallewal, who has been on a hunger strike since November 26. Farmer leader Kaka Singh Kotda revealed that Dallewal was experiencing high fever and blood pressure issues.

“We have asked Bharti Kisan Union (Ekta Sidhupur) members to gather at the Khanauri border on Thursday. The SKM (Non-Political) members are deliberating over the situation, and we will announce our decision soon,” Kotda had stated earlier.

However, later in the day, SKM (Non-Political) issued a press statement confirming their participation in the unity talks. According to the statement, SKM (Non-Political) leaders will first hold discussions with Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM) leaders, led by Sarwan Singh Pandher, before joining the dialogue with SKM (All India) leaders.

Controversy Over Participation and Previous Withdrawals

Doubts regarding the talks had arisen after Bharti Kisan Union (Ekta-Ugrahan) chief Joginder Singh Ugrahan raised objections about the official invitation. He pointed out that the invitation letter bore only the signatures of KMM leaders and was not endorsed by SKM (Non-Political) leaders under Dallewal.

Both unions—BKU (Ekta-Ugrahan) and SKM (Non-Political)—have been protesting at the Shambu and Khanauri borders since February 13 last year.

Notably, SKM (Non-Political) had withdrawn from the third round of talks on February 11, just hours before the meeting, citing the unavailability of its top leadership. However, on February 18, both forums extended an invitation to SKM (All India) leaders, including Joginder Singh Ugrahan, Balbir Singh Rajewal, Darshan Pal, and others, urging them to engage in discussions to bridge differences.

The invitation letter had stated:
"We hope that your delegation will attend the meeting in the public interest."

Previous Rounds of Dialogue

• First two rounds of talks were held on January 13 and January 18 at Patran near the Khanauri border, where both KMM and SKM (Non-Political) participated.
• The third round, held on February 11 in Chandigarh, was attended only by KMM leaders, as SKM (Non-Political) withdrew at the last moment.
• Earlier, on December 20, SKM (All India) leaders met KMM representatives in Patiala.

Calls for Unity in the Farming Community

KMM leaders, including their chief Sarwan Singh Pandher, have confirmed their participation in Thursday’s talks.

Meanwhile, Raminder Patiala of SKM (All India) welcomed SKM (Non-Political)’s decision, stating that unity among all farmer forums is essential for securing the interests of the agricultural community nationwide. He emphasized that only by presenting a unified front before the government could farmers effectively negotiate and secure their demands.

The ongoing protest has largely revolved around debt waiver and a legal guarantee for Minimum Support Price (MSP). However, SKM (All India) maintains that MSP is secondary to the Draft National Policy Framework on Agricultural Marketing, which it argues contains elements of the previously repealed three farm laws.

With tensions running high and unity talks gaining momentum, Thursday’s discussions in Chandigarh are expected to play a pivotal role in shaping the future course of the farmer protests.