Negotiations resume: Farmers, ministers discuss solutions as protests continue

Our Correspondent

CHANDIGARH: Crucial talks between three Union ministers and the farmer leaders continued till late night on Thursday here amid a standoff between the protesters and security personnel at two points on Punjab-Haryana border and blockade of railway tracks at some places in Punjab.

Thursday’s third round of talks began in the evening and there was some delay as Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann also joined the meeting in which the Union government is represented by Agriculture and Farmer Welfare Minister Arjun Munda, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal and Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai. Farmer unions’ demands, including a legal guarantee for Minimum Support Price (MSP) for crops, form the main agenda of the talks with the delegation of Union ministers.

All eyes are on the outcome of the talks which could end the deadlock and pave the way for a breakthrough relating to the government’s acceptance of the demands of the agitating farmers. It remains to be seen how and to what extent both sides show flexibility and accommodation for arriving at an amicable solution. Farmers are demanding that the Union government should honour its commitment given to them during a year-long protest by them on the border points of the national capital.

The meeting is being held at the Mahatma Gandhi State Institute of Public Administration in Sector 26. The previous two rounds of dialogue on February 8 and 12 had remained inconclusive.

Among the farmer leaders taking part in the meeting are SKM (Non-Political) leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal and Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee general secretary Sarwan Singh Pandher.

The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha have given the call ‘Delhi Chalo’ to press the Centre to accept their demands.

Farmers from Punjab had begun their `Delhi Chalo’ march to the national capital on Tuesday but were stopped by security personnel at the Shambhu and Khanauri border points with Haryana.

The farmer leaders had said they would not make any fresh attempt to move towards the national capital till the meeting with ministers was held, asserting that the next course of action would be decided on the basis of the Centre’s proposals.

Some trains on the Delhi-Amritsar route were diverted on Thursday after farmers squatted on tracks at many places in Punjab over the Haryana Police’s action against ‘Delhi Chalo’ protesters.

Farmers also staged dharnas at several toll plazas and forced authorities to not charge the commuters a toll fee.

Bhartiya Kisan Union (Ekta Ugrahan) and BKU Dakunda (Dhaner) had given the call for a four-hour ‘rail roko’ protest at several places in Punjab.

Farmers began their stir around 12 pm by squatting on rail tracks at several places. As farmers are sitting on the railway tracks at several places on the main Delhi- Amritsar route, railway authorities diverted the routes of the trains via Chandigarh and Lohian Khas.

A spokesperson of Indian Railways said Shatabdi and Shan-e-Punjab Express trains coming from Delhi were terminated at the Ludhiana railway station.

Meanwhile, on the call of Samyukta Kisan Morcha, farmers also staged demonstrations at several toll plazas to protest against the use of tear gas by Haryana Police when farmers had gathered to march towards Delhi.

“We are holding an agitation against the police action on farmers who were trying to go to Delhi,’’ said Bhartiya Kisan Union leader Harmit Singh Kadian. In Hoshiarpur, farmers staged protests at two toll plazas on the Jalandhar-Pathankot National Highway.

Farmers led by state president of Doaba Kisan Committee (DKC) Jangveer Singh Chauhan gathered at the toll plazas at Cholang and Harse Mansar and staged dharnas there.

They raised slogans against the Union government and the Haryana government, demanding justice for farmers.

The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha are spearheading the ‘Delhi Chalo’ agitation. On Tuesday, farmers had clashed with Haryana Police at two border points between the states, facing tear gas and water cannons as they tried to break the barricades blocking their protest march to the national capital.

Meanwhile, the Haryana government submitted before the Punjab and Haryana High Court that farmers’ unions are “hell-bent” on stopping the lifeline of northern states and their movement has instilled a “sense of fear” among the people of the state.

The submission was filed in an affidavit before a division bench of Acting Chief Justice GS Sandhawalia and Justice Vikas Suri.

The court had on Tuesday, while hearing a petition pertaining to the farmers’ ‘Delhi Chalo’ march, issued notices to the Centre, and the states of Haryana and Punjab, to file status reports.

The Punjab government, in a separate affidavit, submitted that till Wednesday evening, there had gathered around 12,000-13,000 people, along with about 1,120 tractors and 1,320 trolleys at Shambhu border, and about 4,000-5,000 farmers, along with 450 tractors and 470 trolleys, at Khanauri border.

According to the status report, which was filed in an affidavit by TVSN Prasad, additional chief secretary (home), Haryana, some farmer unions gave a call of ‘Delhi Chalo’ march without seeking any permission or informing the state authorities.

There were inputs that the agitators in thousands will move in modified tractor/trolleys with weapons and arrangements for camping in Delhi. Inputs are also coming that they will ‘gherao’ the Parliament, the report said.

The protest has been planned along the lines of the year-long farmer blockade of Delhi in 2020-2021, which crippled the movement of general commuters, as well as that of goods and essential services, in the NCR, it said.

Stating that police have done a multi-layer barricading on all major inter-state borders entry points, it said, “Therefore, if the agitators are allowed to move further, they will camp at the borders of Delhi on the side of Haryana State like they had done during last agitation.”

Similarly, other state highways or the roads connecting cities and villages with each other cannot be allowed to be seized by the agitators, it submitted.

It submitted that movement of the agitators on national/state highways has instilled a sense of fear amongst citizens of Haryana that the farmers’ unions will again choke movement of persons, essential goods and services which will have adverse effect on industrial/ economic activities.

The Haryana government has identified sites in Yamunanagar, Charkhi Dadri, Kurukshetra, Jhajjar, Panchkula and Karnal for the farmers to hold peaceful protests.

According to the status report filed by way of affidavit of Punjab Special DGP Arpit Shukla, detailed security arrangements have been made by the Patiala, Sangrur, Bathinda, Mansa, and Muktsar districts police to deal with “any situation.”

The situation at Shambhu and Khanauri borders is tense but under control, the status report said.

In another development, the Haryana government on Thursday extended the ban on mobile internet and bulk SMS services in seven districts by two days till February 17 in view of the farmers’ ‘Delhi Chalo’ agitation.

These districts are Ambala, Kurukshetra, Kaithal, Jind, Hisar, Fatehabad and Sirsa, the government said in an order.

The order has been issued under Section 5 of Indian Telegraph Act, 1885 and Rule 2 of Temporary Suspension of Telecom Services (Public Emergency or Public Safety) Rules 2017.

According to the order, the suspension of the mobile internet services, bulk SMS (excluding banking and mobile recharge) and all dongle services, etc. provided on mobile networks except voice calls in the jurisdiction of Ambala, Kurukshetra, Kaithal, Jind, Hisar, Fatehabad and Sirsa districts has been extended till February 17.