Farmers' protest: 'Delhi Chalo' leaders to discuss govt offer, SKM rejects

Farmer leaders taking part in the 'Delhi Chalo' agitation on Monday said they will discuss the government proposal on buying pulses, maize and cotton at MSP but the Samyukta Kisan Morcha, which spearheaded the 2020-21 stir, rejected the offer.

In the fourth round of talks with farmer leaders, a panel of three Union ministers on Sunday proposed buying of pulses, maize and cotton crops by government agencies at minimum support prices (MSP) for five years after entering into an agreement with farmers.

Earlier on Monday, farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher said farmers will hold a discussion on the Centre's proposal but they will not budge from their demand for a law guaranteeing MSP.

 

However, the SKM rejected the government proposal, saying it seeks to "divert and dilute" the farmers' demand for MSP and they will accept nothing less than the 'C-2 plus 50 per cent' formula for MSP as recommended in the Swaminathan Commission report.

Besides a legal guarantee of MSP, farmers are also demanding the implementation of the Swaminathan Commission's recommendations, pension for farmers and farm labourers, farm debt waiver, no hike in electricity tariff, withdrawal of police cases and "justice" for the victims of the 2021 Lakhimpur Kheri violence, reinstatement of the Land Acquisition Act, 2013, and compensation to the families of farmers who died during a previous agitation in 2020-21.

Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal, Agriculture and Farmer Welfare Minister Arjun Munda, and Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai held the fourth round of talks with the farmer leaders over their demands as thousands of protesting farmers were camping at the Punjab-Haryana border.

Talking to the media after the more than four-hour-long meeting, Goyal had said, "Cooperative societies like the NCCF (National Cooperative Consumers Federation) and NAFED (National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India) will enter into a contract with those farmers who grow tur dal, urad dal, masoor dal or maize for buying their crop at MSP for next five years."

"There will be no limit on the quantity (purchased) and a portal will be developed for this," he said.

It was also proposed that the Cotton Corporation of India will buy cotton from farmers at MSP for five years after entering into a legal agreement with them, Goyal said.

However, the minister had underlined that the other demands of the farmers were "deep and policy-driven" and it was not possible to find a resolution without an in-depth discussion.

Talking to reporters at the Shambhu point on the Punjab-Haryana border, Pandher on Monday said farmers will discuss the government proposal.

Farmers have not given up on their demand for a law guaranteeing MSP and never will, he said in response to a question.

Protesting farmers from Punjab have been camping at Shambhu and Khanauri points on the state's border with Haryana since February 13 when their 'Delhi Chalo' march was halted by police.

The call for the march was given by the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha to press their demands.

Farmer leaders had said after Sunday's meeting that they would discuss the government's proposal in their forums on Monday and Tuesday, and thereafter, decide the next course of action.

Pandher had expressed hope about the resolution of their other demands as well, saying that the 'Delhi Chalo' march is currently on hold, but will resume at 11 am on February 21 if all the issues are not resolved.

In a statement on Monday, the SKM rejected the Centre's offer, saying the proposal seeks to "divert and dilute" the farmers' demand for MSP with 'C-2 plus 50 per cent' formula (all costs including imputed costs of family labour, owned capital and rental on land) recommended by the Swaminathan Commission.

Nothing less than MSP for all crops with guaranteed procurement is acceptable to the farmers, it said.

"If the Modi government is unable to implement the promise made by the BJP, then let the prime minister honestly tell that to the people," said the SKM, which is an umbrella body of various farmer unions.

It also asked the government why it was silent on farmers' other demands.

The SKM condemned the police action against protesting farmers at the Shambhu and Khanauri border points.

Haryana Police had on Friday fired tear gas shells to disperse protesting farmers when they moved towards the barricades at the Shambhu border near Ambala. There were clashes between the farmers and police personnel on the first two days of the protest as well.

SKM Haryana demanded the release of detained farmers and restoration of mobile internet services in seven districts of the state in the wake of farmers' 'Delhi Chalo' call.

It also announced that it will hold protests at BJP offices in the state on February 21.

The Haryana government on Saturday extended the ban on mobile internet and bulk SMS services in seven districts till February 19.

In Kurukshetra, Haryana BKU (Charuni) chief Gurnam Singh Charuni demanded that the Centre also include oilseeds and bajra in its proposal.

He also said that Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar should also attend meetings between Union ministers and farmer leaders like his Punjab counterpart Bhagwant Mann as protests are taking place on the borders of his state as well.

During Sunday's meeting, Mann batted for a legal guarantee for MSP for crops to safeguard the interests of farmers.