Synopsis
Union ministers Chouhan and Joshi will lead talks with farmers in Chandigarh today addressing demands including a legal guarantee for Minimum Support Price (MSP).Key Takeaways
- Fresh talks scheduled in Chandigarh for farmers' demands.
- Demands include legal MSP guarantee and debt waivers.
- Union ministers leading the discussions.
- Farmers threaten to resume Delhi march if no positive response.
- Previous meeting held in cordial atmosphere.
Chandigarh, Feb 22 (NationPress) A fresh round of discussions, the second this month, is set to take place in Chandigarh, the shared capital of Punjab and Haryana, on Saturday evening. This meeting will involve government representatives led by Union ministers addressing the long-standing demands of protesting farmers, which notably include a legal guarantee on the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for crops.
Farmers' unions, including the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha, have established their presence at Shambhu and Khanauri, the key border points between Punjab and Haryana, since February 13 last year. They set up camps there after security forces denied them access to march towards Delhi to advocate for their demands.
In the upcoming discussions, Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, who missed the previous meeting on February 14, will lead the government representatives alongside Union Minister for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Pralhad Joshi.
Sarwan Singh Pandher, the convener of Kisan Mazdoor Morcha, stated that if a favorable outcome is not achieved, farmers will recommence their march to Delhi on February 25.
Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Joint Secretary Purna Chandra Kishan extended an invitation for the talks to farmer leaders Jagjit Singh Dallewal and Sarwan Singh Pandher, indicating, “A meeting with the ministers of the government of India and the government of Punjab concerning the farmers’ unions' demands has been scheduled for February 22 at the Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Public Administration in Chandigarh. You are cordially invited to the meeting.”
On February 14, a meeting was held in Chandigarh between a Central team led by Pralhad Joshi and farmers’ representatives, with both parties asserting that the meeting was conducted in a friendly environment.
This series of discussions resumed after nearly a year of stagnation. During the last meeting, farmer leaders presented a set of 10 demands, including a legal guarantee for MSP, the implementation of the Swaminathan Commission Report, debt forgiveness for farmers and agricultural workers, a pension scheme for farmers and laborers, the dismissal of cases against farmers from the 2020-21 protests, and compensation and employment for the families of farmers who passed away during the protests.
Leader Dallewal, who was fasting, arrived at the meeting venue via ambulance from the Khanauri border. Alongside Dallewal and Pandher, 26 other farmer leaders participated in the discussions.
Punjab Agriculture Minister Gurmeet Singh Khudian, Food and Supply Minister Lal Chand Kataruchak, Chief Secretary KAP Sinha, DGP Gaurav Yadav, and Additional Chief Secretary (Agriculture) Anurag Verma also took part in the talks.
Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann will again designate these officials for the February 22 meeting.
The day prior, farmers demonstrated their unity to commemorate the death anniversary of farm activist Shubhkaran Singh, who succumbed to bullet wounds while farmers were halted by the Haryana Police at the Khanauri border during their march towards Delhi.
The Haryana Police refuted claims that the individual died from a bullet fired by them; however, the Punjab Police registered a zero First Information Report (FIR) regarding the incident.
After the previous meeting on February 14, Pralhad Joshi expressed that the government is engaging in discussions with a positive mindset and intends to maintain this approach.
He urged fasting farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal, who has been on an indefinite fast since November 26 last year, to cease his fast, assuring that the government’s commitment to resolving issues through dialogue will persist.
In a media address, the Union Minister mentioned that the government attentively listened to the farmers' concerns during a meeting that extended over two-and-a-half hours.
He informed the farmers about the actions taken by the government for their welfare, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
