Union ministers Chouhan, Joshi to lead fresh round of talks with protesting farmers in Chandigarh today

The next round of talks, the second in this month, with protesting farmers by government representatives led by Union ministers will be held in Chandigarh, the joint capital of Punjab and Haryana, on Saturday evening over their long-pending demands, including a legal guarantee on the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for crops.

Farmers unions -- Samyukt Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha -- have been camping at Shambhu and Khanauri, the border points between Punjab and Haryana border, since February 13 last year by pitching their tents there after security forces didn’t allow them to march to Delhi to press for their demands.

In the resumed talks, the Union government representatives are expected to be led by Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, who was not present in the last meeting on February 14, along with Union Minister for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Pralhad Joshi.

The Kisan Mazdoor Morcha convener Sarwan Singh Pandher said if they don’t get a positive response, they would resume the march to Delhi on February 25.

In an invitation for the talks addressed to farmer leaders Jagjit Singh Dallewal and Sarwan Singh Pandher, Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Joint Secretary Purna Chandra Kishan, said, “A meeting with the ministers of the government of India and the government of Punjab regarding the demands of farmers’ unions has been organised on February 22 at Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Public Administration in Chandigarh. You are cordially invited to the meeting.”

Earlier on February 14, a meeting between a Central team led by Union Minister Pralhad Joshi and farmers’ representatives was held in Chandigarh, with both sides claiming that it was held in a cordial atmosphere.

Those talks between both sides resumed almost after a year of deadlock. In that meeting farmer leaders presented 10 demands, including legal guarantee for MSP, implementation of the Swaminathan Commission Report, debt waiver for farmers and farm workers, a pension scheme for farmers and labourers, cancellation of cases registered against farmers during the 2020-21 protests, and compensation and job to kin of farmers who had died during the protests.

Fasting leader Dallewal reached the meeting venue in an ambulance from the Khanauri border. Besides Dallewal and Pandher, 26 other farmer leaders participated in that meeting.

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 participated in the deliberations.

They will be deputed again by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann for the February 22 meeting.

A day earlier, farmers held a show of strength to mark the death anniversary of farm activist Shubhkaran Singh, who had died of bullet injuries when farmers, who were marching towards Delhi, were stopped by the Haryana Police at the Khanauri border to move ahead.

The Haryana Police denied that the man died from a bullet fired by them. However, the Punjab Police had registered a zero First Information Report (FIR) into the death.

After the last meeting on February 14, Pralhad Joshi said the government has come for discussions with a positive mindset and approach and that this approach will be maintained.

He appealed to fasting farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal, who has been on an indefinite fast since November 26 last year, to end his fast, assuring the approach of addressing issues through discussions will continue.

Addressing the media, the Union Minister has said the government listened to the issues of the farmers patiently as part of a meeting which lasted more than two-and-a-half hours.

He briefed the farmers about the steps taken by the government for the welfare of farmers, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.