Farmers' protest: Government to hold second round of talks
Union Agriculture Minister Arjun Munda on Sunday said the Centre's was ready to hold discussions with farmer unions with an "open mind." Meanwhile, farmer unions have said they would wait for the outcome of the second round of talks with the government on Monday before going ahead with their protest march to Delhi on Tuesday. Munda, Union Minister Piyush Goyal, and Minister of State Nityanand Rai will hold talks with protesting farmers in Chandigarh on Monday.
Why does this story matter?
More than two years after their 2021 protest against three now-repealed farm laws, farmers are again threatening the government to return to Delhi over their demands. They are demanding a law guaranteeing a minimum support price (MSP) for their crops. Besides, farmers are also seeking the implementation of the Swaminathan Commission's recommendations, farm debt waivers, and pensions for farmers and farm laborers, among others.
There might be disagreements between both sides: Munda
Speaking to The Indian Express, Munda said there might be disagreements between the government's perspective and farmers' demands. However, he remained optimistic about finding a solution through dialog with "care and patience." He stated, "How much can we do, and what will be in the interest of farmers, a solution has to be found by sitting together." The primary demand from farmers is a legal guarantee of a minimum support price for all crops.
Nearly 1 lakh farmers to march to Delhi
Nearly one lakh farmers from Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh are preparing to reach Delhi for Tuesday's protest. These farmers belonging to the Samyukt Kisan Morcha-Non Political (SKM-NP) are demanding guaranteed MSPs for their produce. Last Thursday, their first round of talks with the Union government on this demand was held, but it failed. Meanwhile, the original SKM group, with similar demands, announced a rural and industrial strike on February 16 along with Central Trade Unions (CTU).
Centre has announced MSPs for 22 crops
After withdrawing three contentious farm laws in 2021, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)'s central government announced MSPs for 22 mandated crops. In July 2022, the Centre also established a committee to consider making MSPs more "effective and transparent." The panel, chaired by former Agriculture Secretary Sanjay Agrawal, so far conducted six main meetings and 31 sub-group meetings/workshops. However, it is yet to submit a report. Farmers have called for a legal MSP guarantee based on the Swaminathan Commission's C2+50% Formula.
Protesting farmers await outcome of talks
Sarwan Singh Pandher, the coordinator of the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM), said farmers belonging to his group and the SKM-NP will gather at Fatehgarh Sahib, Punjab, by Monday afternoon. He added any decision to proceed to the national capital will depend on the results of the discussions. Pandher said farmers from different parts of Punjab will reach Fatehgarh Sahib and sleep overnight in their tractors by the roadside. "[Farmers] will march toward Delhi as per the outcome," he added.