Manas Dasgupta
NEW DELHI, Feb 18: Ahead of their meetings with the government representatives, the agitating farmers have demanded the Centre to promulgate an ordinance to ensure Minimum Support Price (MSP) for all crops now that the Parliament session was over till a new government is formed after the Lok Sabha elections.
The fourth round of talks are scheduled to be held later on Sunday evening to discuss the demands of the farmers including a legal guarantee for MSP for crops as thousands of farmers stayed put at the Shambhu and Khanauri points of the Punjab-Haryana border with layers of barricades and a large number of security personnel halting their protest march to the national capital.
The two sides — Ministers and farmer leaders — had met earlier on February 8, 12 and 15 but talks remained inconclusive. Union Agriculture and Farmer Welfare Minister Arjun Munda, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal and Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai will be part of the meeting with farmer leaders.
Farmers of the ‘Delhi Chalo’ agitation, which entered is sixth day on Sunday are also demanding implementation of the Swaminathan Commission’s recommendations, pension for farmers and farm labourers, and withdrawal of police cases.
The Samyukta Kisan Morcha will gherao the residences of BJP leaders in Punjab for three days from Tuesday to press the Centre into accepting the farmers’ demands. SKM leader Balbir Singh Rajewal said they would stage protests in front of the residences of Punjab BJP leaders, including MPs, MLAs and district presidents, from Tuesday to Thursday. He also said they would also protest at all toll barriers in the State and make them free for all commuters on these days.
The SKM will not accept anything less than the C-2 plus 50 per cent formula for MSP as recommended in the Swaminathan Commission report, he said.
He also said the SKM would hold a meeting on February 22 in Delhi to chalk out future strategies. “Our struggle will continue even if the model code of conduct for the Lok Sabha elections comes into force,” he said in reply to a question by reporters.
Even as farmers from Punjab continue their protests, the AAP government in the state is facing heat from Opposition parties for going back on its “assurance” of procuring crops at the MSP. The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and the Congress has accused the State government of “betraying farmers after coming to power”. The AAP has maintained that the government was doing its best with the resources the State had at its disposal.
AAP convener and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal said he was hopeful that the protesting farmers and the Union government can find a solution in the talks. When asked about the fourth round of talks between the farmers unions and the Centre, he said, “I hope they reach a solution.” Former Haryana Chief Minister and senior Congress leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda noted that the Centre needed to make a decision regarding the MSP, stating, “I am hopeful that they can reach a resolution. The government must decide on MSP.”
Bharatiya Kisan Union (Charuni) national president Gurnam Singh Charuni said that farmer unions, khaps and toll committees in Haryana will put up a united fight along with the agitating farmer organisations from Punjab if the talks with the Government fail. He made the announcements after the representatives of several farmer organisations, khaps and toll committees met at Brahm Sarovar to discuss the farmers’ agitation. Mr Chaurni said the strategy to take forward the agitation would be formulated after the outcome of the meeting between the farmers and the Government.
The BKU (Charuni) had spearheaded the 13-month-long farmers’ agitation against the three farm laws, however, it has stayed away from the ongoing agitation till now. “We don’t trust this Government. It is a Government of false assurances. The laws change overnight under this regime. We have told our Punjab brethren not to agree to anything less than an ordinance on the MSP,” said Sarv Khap Panchayat co-ordinator Om Prakash Dhankar.