SKM advances ‘unity talks’ with agitating farmers, meeting at Patran today
SKM (non-political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM) had requested to move up the meeting in wake of Dallewal’s “deteriorating” health
Accepting the request of Punjab farmers protesting at the Khanauri and Shambhu borders, the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) on Sunday advanced the proposed ‘unity talks’ from January 15 to 13.

The meeting will be held in Patran town, 15 km away from Khanauri border on Monday.
The move came a day after the SKM (non-political), whose convenor Jagjit Singh Dallewal has been on a fast-unto-death since November 26, and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM), led by Sarwan Singh Pandher, wrote to SKM to move up the meeting, citing Dallewal’s “deteriorating” health.
A six-member committee of the SKM had visited the Khanauri protest site on Friday and invited the SKM (non-political) and KMM for a meeting in Patiala on January 15 to ensure a united front against the Centre in the fight for demands, including a legal guarantee to minimum support price (MSP) for crops.
Raminder Patiala, a member of the six-member committee of SKM, said on Sunday, “We discussed the proposal to prepone the unity talks in our National Coordination Committee meeting and decided to heed to the request. Our six-member committee will meet leaders of protesting unions in Patran town on Monday at 11am.”
Farmers protesting at the Khanauri and Shambhu borders welcomed the decision.
The SKM, which had led the 2020 agitation against the now-repealed farm laws, is not part of the ongoing agitation of the SKM (non-political) and the KMM.
SKM (non-political) and KMM farmers have been camping at the Shambhu and Khanauri border points between Punjab and Haryana since February 13 last year, after their march to Delhi was stopped by security forces. Attempts for unity between SKM, SKM (non-political) and KMM in February last year had failed. Fresh dialogue for unity had resumed in December last year after Dallewal launched on an indefinite fast.
Given the mammoth support that SKM enjoys, the unity meeting will help strengthen the ongoing protest and pressure the Centre to initiate talks with farmers.
The SKM has already shown their strength by holding two Kisan Mahapanchayats in Tohana and Moga on January 4 and 9 respectively.