Today is the fourth day of the farmers’ ‘Delhi Chalo’ march. Farmer leaders have declared a ‘Rural India Bandh’ as a nationwide strike scheduled to be held on Friday to protest against the central government’s policies. The protesting farmers hold ‘chakka jams’ on major roads across India.
While security continues to prevail along the inter-state borders of Punjab and Haryana, the protesting farmers have stuck to their decision to move to the capital for the ‘Delhi Chalo’ march. Union ministers held talks with protesting farmer leaders on Thursday night amid standoffs between protesters and security forces at two places along the Punjab-Haryana border.
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann also attended the meeting held at the Mahatma Gandhi State Institute of Public Administration in Sector 26, Chandigarh. Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Arjun Munda, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal and Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai represented the Centre and discussed various demands of the farmer unions in the meeting.
This was the third meeting between the two sides. The two previous meetings held on February 8 and 12 remained decisive in the talks. The meeting was attended by SKM (non-political leader) Jagjit Singh Dalwal and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha Samiti general secretary Sarwan Singh Pandey.
It may be recalled that the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (non-political) and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha had called for “Delhi Chalo” on February 13, raising various demands. Under this, more than 200 farmers marched to Delhi with their demands.
Their demands include framing of laws to ensure minimum support price (MSP) for crops. Their protest was taken up so that their demands were accepted by the government.