Earlier today, Sarwan Singh Pandher, a prominent farmer leader, announced that while farmers would engage in discussions regarding the government's proposal, they remain steadfast in their insistence on a law ensuring Minimum Support Price (MSP) for their produce.
During the ongoing 'Delhi Chalo' agitation, farmer leaders conveyed their intention to deliberate on the government's proposition to procure pulses, maize, and cotton at MSP. However, the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM), a key orchestrator of the 2020-21 protests, swiftly rejected the offer.
In the latest round of negotiations between farmer representatives and a panel of three Union ministers, the government suggested a five-year arrangement for the purchase of pulses, maize, and cotton at MSP through agreements with farmers.
Pandher reiterated the farmers' willingness to consider the government's offer while emphasizing their unwavering demand for a statutory guarantee of MSP. In contrast, the SKM dismissed the proposal, asserting that it sidesteps the core demand for MSP based on the 'C-2 plus 50 per cent' formula recommended by the Swaminathan Commission.
Beyond MSP, farmers are advocating for various reforms, including the implementation of the Swaminathan Commission's recommendations, pension schemes for farmers and laborers, debt relief, electricity tariff freezes, withdrawal of legal cases against protesters, and justice for victims of the 2021 Lakhimpur Kheri violence.
Union Ministers Piyush Goyal, Arjun Munda, and Nityanand Rai engaged in extensive discussions with farmer representatives, proposing mechanisms for MSP-based procurement of specific crops for five years. However, they acknowledged the complexity of other demands, stressing the necessity of comprehensive deliberations.
Meanwhile, Pandher conveyed farmers' intentions to scrutinize the government's proposal, highlighting their persistent pursuit of MSP legislation. Protests have persisted at the Punjab-Haryana border since February 13, following the 'Delhi Chalo' call by the Samyukta Kisan Morcha and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha.
The SKM, in a statement, rebuffed the government's offer, deeming it insufficient and diversionary from the primary demand for MSP legislation. It urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to fulfill the Bharatiya Janata Party's promise or publicly acknowledge its inability to do so.
Moreover, the SKM denounced police actions against protesters and demanded the release of detained farmers, along with the restoration of mobile internet services in affected areas. Protests at BJP offices in Haryana are planned for February 21, underscoring the ongoing resistance against contentious agricultural reforms.
In Kurukshetra, Gurnam Singh Charuni, leader of the Haryana BKU (Charuni), echoed demands for broader inclusion of crops in the government's procurement proposal, while urging Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar to actively engage in negotiations with farmer leaders akin to his Punjab counterpart.
As negotiations continue and protests persist, stakeholders remain entrenched in their respective positions, emphasizing the urgency of finding a mutually acceptable resolution to the prolonged agrarian unrest.
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