Kumar Siddhartha, Pune
“After the discussion of both forums, the consensus is that, upon analysis, the government’s proposal lacks substance and does not serve the interests of farmers. We reject it,” said farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal after the fourth round of discussion with the government. The leaders rejected the proposal to sell pulses, maize, and cotton at the minimum support price to the government. The government’s primary plan remains the demand for MSP on all 23 crops, but it has also planned that if farmers enter the agreement, it will buy pulses, maize, and cotton crops at MSP for the next 5 years.
The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM), which led the 2020-21 protest, rejected the proposal, deeming it an attempt to deflect and weaken their demand for MSP. They insisted on nothing less than the ‘C-2 plus 50 percent’ MSP formula recommended by the Swaminathan Commission. Beyond MSP, their demands include implementing the Swaminathan Commission’s suggestions, providing pensions for farmers and laborers, waiving farm debts, no further increase in electricity tariff hikes, withdrawing police cases, addressing the 2021 Lakhimpur Kheri violence, reinstating the Land Acquisition Act of 2013, and compensating families of farmers who died in the 2020-21 agitation. Union ministers held talks with farmer leaders during a four-hour-plus meeting on Sunday.
The farmers, mostly from Punjab, have been protesting at the borders of Punjab and Haryana since February 13. “The Centre should hold a daylong session in parliament to bring legislation on the MSP for crops, and the Centre should also accept the other main demands of the farmers, which also include farm loan waivers,” said farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher, on Tuesday.
Former Punjab chief minister and BJP leader Amarinder Singh said that he had a comprehensive discussion with Prime Minister Narendra Modi regarding various matters concerning the farmers. In a post on X (previously Twitter), Singh tweeted that he had a detailed meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and they discussed the wide-ranging issues related to Punjab, including the issues that concern the farmers. This meeting took place amidst the ongoing farmer protests. The farmers reiterated their demand for legal assurance for the MSP regime and other associated requests, persisting with their plan to march to the national capital.