Farmers are to return home today after a year of protesting farm laws

Farmers at the Singhu border expressed their pleasure after receiving a formal letter from the Centre on Thursday agreeing to their pending demands and preparing to return to their homes after calling off their protest against the farm regulations.

Speaking to ANI, Manpreet Singh, Executive Member of Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) Punjab said, "We have won this battle after the struggles of a year-long protest. We are happy that the Central government has agreed to fulfil our pending demands. We are doing packing here and will return to our homes at 9 am on December 11."

"However, we will not celebrate the victory because our CDS Bipin Rawat has lost his life in Tamil Nadu helicopter crash," he said.

Meanwhile, BKU General Secretary Harvinder Singh expressed sorrow over the deaths of all 700 farmers who died during the year-long protest.

"We are disappointed that our 700 farmers died during this protest. The Centre has not said anything for them. When any higher rank official loses his life, the government gives special treatment to them. But it did not happen in the case of farmers. I want this kind of treatment should also be given to all 700 deceased farmers," Harvinder said.

Furthermore, Harvinder stated that the farmers did not act as stumbling blocks for passing travellers.

"We never created any problem or stopped travellers passing by. Traffic was moving as usual. The traffic was disturbed only when Andolan took place. I hope that the Centre will take care of farmers in future as well," he added.

Gurvinder Kaur, mother of a protester at Singhu border said, "My son has been protesting here since the beginning of this agitation. We are happy that we won this battle after a lot of struggle. The Central government has taken a good decision."

Farmers who have been protesting against three farm regulations on Delhi's boundaries since November 26 last year said on Wednesday that their year-long agitation will come to an end on December 11 and that they will evacuate the protest locations.

"As far as the matter of compensation is concerned, UP and Haryana have given in-principle consent," it read.

While attending a press conference, the farmer leader Gurnam Singh Charuni said, "We have decided to suspend our agitation. We will hold a review meeting on Jan 15. If the government does not fulfil its promises, we could resume our agitation."

"Protesting farmers will vacate the protest sites on December 11," another farmers` leader Darshan Pal Singh said.Before on November 29, Both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha passed the Farm Laws Repeal Bill on the very first day of the winter session of the Parliament.