Chandigarh: Stating that the talks between the protesting farmers and the Central team held here on Saturday evening to discuss the former’s demands including a legal guarantee for minimum support price (MSP) and the debt waiver, was held in a cordial atmosphere, the union agriculture minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said that the next round of talks would be held on March 19 here.
The said meeting between the Central team led by Union ministers Chouhan, Piyush Goyal and Pralhad Joshi and farmer leaders lasted for over three hours remained inconclusive, it ended with an agreement that the next round of talks would be held on March 19, here. The both sides, however, held that the talks were fruitful and were held in a positive atmosphere.
Besides the group of 28 farm leaders including Sarwan Singh Pandher and Jagjit Singh Dallewal, the meeting was also participated by Punjab finance minister Harpal Cheema, agriculture minister Gurmeet Singh Khudian and food and supplies minister Lal Chand Kataruchak.
Notably, this was the second meeting of the second round of talks this month between the Central team and the leaders of the farmers; It may be recalled that a multitude of farmers have been camping and protesting at Shambhu and Khanauri borders of Punjab and Haryana since February 12 last year.
The talks between the farm leaders and the Central representatives have been resumed on the former’s demands as the same have so far been inconclusive and the farmers have continued to camp and protest at the said two borders threatening to take their “Delhi chalo’’ protest to press for their demands. Last year, the farmers also made three attempts to take out protest foot marches on December 6, 8 and 14 last year, though the same were foiled by Haryana police and Central forces by raining teargas shells leaving about 50 farmers injured. According to farm leaders at least 60 farmers had died on the two protest sites since February last year. Also farm leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal has also been on fast-unto-death since November-end.
The farmers’ demands include legal guarantee for MSP, debt waiver, Swaminathan commission report implementation, a pension scheme for farmers and labourers, cancellation of police cases against farmers during 2020-2021 protests and compensation and job to kin of farmers who have died during the protest.
