Farmers Protest: Meeting With Union Ministers Ends, Next Discussion On Sunday
The third meeting with the Union ministers and farmer leaders in Chandigarh ended without any resolution on Thursday. Union minister Arjun Munda said that the dialogue was “very positive” and have decided to meet again on Sunday evening, reports Times of India.
“Today a very positive discussion happened between the government and the farmers’ unions,” Arjun Munda said. He further announced that a meeting will be held on Sunday at 6 pm to have a discussion focusing on the topics highlighted by the farmers.
In the meeting which lasted for five hours, Union ministers Piyush Goyal, Arjun Munda, and Minister of State of Home Affairs, Niyanand Rai took part as the representatives of the central government. Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwat Mann also took part in the meeting.
Mann said that a detailed discussion on each topic was held and a consensus was reached on several issues. He added that he has raised the issue of suspension of internet services at select areas in Sangrur, Patiala, and Fatehgarh Sahib with the Centre. Mann has also brought to the attention of the Union ministers the use of drones by the Haryana Police to tear gas shells on the protestors.
However, the farmers” leaders have said that they will continue to stay put at the border points between Punjab and Haryana.
Jagjit Singh Dallewal, president of the Bharatiya Kisan Union (Ekta Sidhupur) said, “We engaged in a detailed discussion, and the government acknowledged the need for dialogue on MSP and shared debts, committing to further discussions”.
The leaders further added that the ministers have assured them of paperwork and updates in the Sunday meeting. “We did this marathon meeting because we want to resolve things before the code of conduct comes into force,” they said, reports Indian Express.
This was the third round of talks between the two sides. The other two previous talks were held on February 8 and February 12.
Farmers began their march towards the national capital on Tuesday but were stopped at the Shambu and Khanauri border points between Punjab and Haryana.
Besides the legal guarantee on MSP, the farmers have also demanded the implementation of the Swaminathan Commission’s recommendations, pension for farmers and farm laborers, farm debt waiver, withdrawal of police cases, and “justice” for the victims of the Lakhimpur Kheri violence, reinstatement of the Land Accusation Act, 2013 and compensation for the families of the farmers who died during the 2020-21 protest.
