Centre to hold 3rd round of talks with protesting farmers

By Riya Baibhawi

Feb 15, 2024

12:16 pm

What's the story

The Centre will hold the third round of talks with farmers in Chandigarh on Thursday. Reports said, a team of three Union ministers—Arjun Munda, Piyush Goyal, and Nityanand Rai—will meet the farmer leaders. This comes after the leaders' assurance that protesters would remain peaceful and not try to push through barricades set up at various borders in Delhi, Punjab, and Haryana. Additionally, the leaders have said that talks will only be successful if the government presents a "positive" offer.

Context

Why does this story matter?

Thousands of farmers from Haryana and Punjab have launched a "Delhi Chalo" protest over their demands. The farmers are demanding a law that guarantees a minimum support price (MSP) for their crops. Moreover, agitators are seeking the implementation of the Swaminathan Commission's recommendations and agricultural loan waivers and pensions for farmers and farm laborers. They are also demanding the withdrawal of cases against farmers (from 2020-21's protest) and "justice" for the Lakhimpur Kheri violence victims.

Protest on hold

Farmers camp at Haryana border amid protests

Meanwhile, farmers from Punjab remain camped near various locations along the Haryana border after being denied entry into the state. The protest's organizers have asked agitating farmers to exercise restraint and wait for the outcome of talks with the Centre. Haryana's Director General of Police Shatrujit Kapoor said Section 144 has been clamped down in 15 districts. Around 64 companies of paramilitary forces and 50 companies of Haryana Police are also deployed in the area to prevent any untoward incident.

Twitter Post

Watch: Sarvan Singh Pander's statement on the meeting

#WATCH | General Secretary of Punjab Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee, Sarvan Singh Pandher says, "We have a meeting with the ministers today, and we want PM Modi to have a conversation with them so that we can reach a solution for our demands. Or else, we should be allowed to… pic.twitter.com/j7Z3TlflMI
— ANI (@ANI) February 15, 2024

Preparation

Punjab hospitals on alert

As a preemptive measure, hospitals near the Punjab-Haryana border are on alert, providing emergency services around the clock. Punjab Health and Family Welfare Minister Balbir Singh reported that at least 40 injured people were admitted to Rajpura Civil Hospital on Wednesday. Singh criticized the Haryana government for their "unprovoked police action at protesting farmers" and deemed their actions unconstitutional and illegal. He urged the Haryana government to allow farmers to reach Delhi peacefully to voice their demands.