Amid the ongoing standoff between protesters and security personnel on the Punjab-Haryana border, a committee of 3 Union Ministers is once again holding talks with farmer leaders in Chandigarh. Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Arjun Munda, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal, Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai and Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann are meeting farmer leaders on various demands including legal guarantee on Minimum Support Price (MSP) for crops. This is the third phase of talks between the two sides.
It is expected that in today’s meeting the government will reach an agreement with the farmer organizations and the farmers’ agitation that has been going on for the last 3 days will end.
The first two rounds of talks were inconclusive
The first two rounds of talks held on February 8 and 12 were inconclusive. Farmers from Punjab have called for a march towards Delhi to put pressure on the Center regarding their demands and are camping at the Shambhu and Khanauri borders of Punjab and Haryana. Farmer leaders said that they will not make any new attempt to move towards Delhi till the meeting takes place. He said further action would be decided based on the Centre’s proposals.
Hundreds of farmers are camping on Shambhu and Khanauri border.
Bharatiya Kisan Union (Ekta Ugrahan) and BKU Dakaunda (Dhaner) had called for ‘rail roko’ in the state on Thursday. The above decision was taken in protest against the firing of tear gas shells and use of water cannons on the protesting farmers by Haryana security personnel on the Shambhu and Khanauri borders. Hundreds of farmers are camping at Shambhu and Khanauri borders as part of the ‘Delhi Chalo’ movement. Samyukt Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha are leading the “Delhi Chalo” march to put pressure on the BJP-led central government for their demands including enacting a law to guarantee MSP for crops and loan waiver. .
Could not enter Delhi due to border sealing
Haryana Police has sealed the border by putting up barricades to prevent farmers from going to Delhi in their tractor-trolleys. Security personnel fired tear gas shells intermittently on Wednesday at Shambhu border near Ambala. Whenever any group of farmers tried to move towards the barricades, tear gas shells were fired. The protesters also pelted stones at the security personnel. A similar standoff continues at the Data Singhwala-Khanauri border in Jind district of Haryana.
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