Next round of talks on Sunday as farmers stand firm amid tensions
CHANDIGARH: Even as the next round of talks between three Union ministers and leaders of protesting farmer unions is scheduled to be held on Sunday, Haryana police continued with the use of tear gas on farmers at Shambhu border on Friday.
The marathon third round of talks between three Union ministers and farmer leaders went on till late Thursday night and concluded without a resolution. However, Union Agriculture Minister Arjun Munda termed the discussion as “positive” and said that another meeting will be held on Sunday.
The farmer leaders said they will continue to stay put at the two borders of Punjab and Haryana.
Union Agriculture and Farmer Welfare Minister Munda, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal and Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai represented the Centre at the meeting over the farmer unions’ various demands, including a law guaranteeing a minimum support price (MSP) for crops. The meeting was also attended by Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann.
The Union Agriculture Minister said the talks took place in a “good atmosphere” and there was “positive discussion”. The talks will continue and another meeting will take place at 6 pm on Sunday, he said, adding that a solution will be found by sitting together.
Similar sentiments were echoed by Union Information and Broadcasting and Youth and Sports Affairs Minister Anurag Singh Thakur who expressed confidence that there will be a good atmosphere during Sunday talks as well.
“The government had invited farmer organisations for talks. Many farmer leaders came and very meaningful discussions took place. We together have scheduled the next round of talks for Sunday. There will be talks and we will move towards resolving the issues,’’ he said while speaking to journalists in New Delhi.
Outlining the steps taken by the Modi government during the past decade for the welfare of the farmers, he said the budget for agriculture has increased to Rs. 1.25 lakh crore, five times more than the UPA period. Under the Kisan Samman Nidhi, the government has transferred Rs. 2.81 lakh crore directly to the bank accounts of more than 11 crore farmers. He added that the farmers have received compensation of more than Rs. 1.5 lakh crore under the Modi government.
Talking about MSP, Thakur said that during Congress rule the total purchase of wheat, paddy, pulses and oilseeds was worth Rs. 5.50 lakh crore which went up to Rs. 18.39 lakh crore under the Modi government, showing that the government raised the prices and also made purchases more than the double.
Referring to irrigation schemes, the I&B Minister said about Rs. 15,500 crore were spent under various schemes and the agricultural loan which was Rs. 7 lakh crore during UPA rule was increased to Rs. 20 lakh crore under the Modi government.
Meanwhile, taling about the meeting, Punjab CM Mann said, “On each topic, a detailed discussion took place and a consensus was reached on several issues.” Earlier two rounds of talks had turned out to be inconclusive.
Mann said he raised the issue of suspension of internet services at select areas in Sangrur, Patiala and Fatehgarh Sahib with the Centre. He said that he also brought to the attention of the Union ministers the use of a drone by Haryana Police to lob tear gas shells at the protesters inside Punjab.
He said he got an assurance from the Centre that it would speak to the Haryana government and ask it to maintain peace at the Punjab and Haryana borders.
Among the farmer leaders who took part in the meeting were 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 a “Delhi Chalo” call to press the BJP-led Centre to accept their demands.
Farmers from Punjab had begun their `Delhi Chalo’ march on Tuesday but were stopped by security personnel at the Shambhu and Khanauri border points between Punjab and Haryana. The protesting farmers have been camping at the border points.
Earlier, the farmer leaders had said they would not make any fresh attempt to move towards Delhi till the meeting with the ministers was held, asserting that the next course of action would be decided based on the Centre’s proposals.
Separately, farmers squatted on railway tracks at many places in Punjab over the Haryana Police’s action against the “Delhi Chalo” protesters. The Bharatiya Kisan Union (Ekta Ugrahan) and the BKU Dakaunda (Dhaner) gave the “rail roko” call.
Besides a legal guarantee on MSP, the farmers are demanding the implementation of the Swaminathan Commission’s recommendations, pension for farmers and farm labourers, farm debt waiver, withdrawal of police cases and “justice” for the victims of the Lakhimpur Kheri violence, reinstatement of the Land Acquisition Act, 2013 and compensation for the families of the farmers who died during a previous agitation in 2020-21.
Farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal demanded the release of farmers who were either arrested or detained by the Haryana police.
Meanwhile, farmers owing allegiance to different factions held demonstrations at several places in Punjab and Haryana in response to a call for a ‘Bharat Bandh’ by a farmers’ body, causing inconvenience to commuters.
Though there was a partial response to the bandh in Haryana, markets and commercial establishments at several places in Punjab remained shut. Protesters blocked national highways in Punjab’s Pathankot, Tarn Taran, Bathinda and Jalandhar. They also laid siege to several toll plazas in both the states.
Markets and commercial establishments at several places in Punjab also remained shut while farmers held demonstrations at many places and blocked national highways in Pathankot, Tarn Taran, Bathinda and Jalandhar. They raised slogans against the Centre for not accepting their demands.
In Haryana’s Hisar, the Haryana Roadways services were paralysed as its employees supported the ‘Bharat Bandh’ and stayed away from work. Members of the Bhartiya Kisan Union (Charuni) staged dharnas at several toll plazas in Haryana and forced authorities not to charge toll tax from commuters.
Protests were also held in parts of western Uttar Pradesh. Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Rakesh Tikait participated in a protest held at the Bagovali crossing on the Delhi-Dehradun National Highway in Muzaffarnagar.
“We are holding the protest for the demands, including implementation of the Swaminathan Commission report, loan waiver etc,” Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Rakesh Tikait told reporters.
On Being asked if he has any plans to go to Delhi, Tikait said, “A meeting is scheduled in Sisauli (Muzaffaranagar) on Saturday, where planning for the future course of action will be made.”
In Baghpat, a protest was held by BKU members. BKU district president Pratap Singh Gurjar said, “The symbolic protest in support of the bandh was called at Vandana Chowk. Farmers supported the call and they did not go to the sugarcane procurement centres.”
Many farmer bodies, including BKU (Rajewal), BKU (Dakunda), BKU (Lakhowal), BKU (Qadian) and Kirti Kisan Union, participated in the bandh. WITH AGENCIES INPUTS
