Farmers protesting at Shambhu and Khanauri border of Haryana-Punjab will have the 5th round of talks with the Center in Chandigarh today (14 February). 28 farmer leaders will participate in it from the farmers’ side. Jagjit Dallewal from the United Kisan Morcha (non-political) and Sarwan Pandher from Kisan Mazdoor Morcha will lead them. Farmers are demanding a legal guarantee of MSP on crops.
Dallewal has been on a hunger strike for 81 days, he will leave for Chandigarh from Khanauri border at 11 am. Union Food Minister Prahlad Joshi from the Center and Minister Gurmeet Khuddiyan from the Punjab government will attend this meeting.
This meeting will be held at 5.30 pm at the Magsipa office in Sector 26, Chandigarh. Sarwan Pandher warned that if a solution is not found in the meeting, the farmers will march to Delhi.
The center has held talks with the farmers 4 times so far
The farmers’ agitation on Shambhu and Khanauri border started on 13 February. Then they left for Delhi but the police stopped them by barricading. Since then they are sitting there. After this, the agitating farmers and the central government held 4 meetings in Chandigarh but no decision was taken. Then 3 Union Ministers Piyush Goyal, Arjun Munda and Nityanand Rai from the Center participated in it.
What happened in the 4 meetings of the Center-farmers in 2024…
8 February: The first meeting of the farmers with the central government was held. In this, some demands were agreed upon, but the farmers’ organizations were adamant on many demands including making MSP legal guarantee law for crops. During this, the government had decided to continue the meeting further.
12 February: Due to the deadlock on the legal guarantee of MSP, the farmers had a 5-hour meeting with the Union Ministers in Chandigarh. There was a consensus on withdrawing all the cases registered against the farmers and cancelling the Electricity Amendment Bill 2020, but the farmers were adamant on the legal guarantee of MSP. After this, the farmers tried to march to Delhi.
15 February: This meeting lasted till 1 am. In the meeting, the farmers objected to the use of force by the Haryana Police.
18 February: In this meeting, the central government proposed to give MSP on crops of lentils, urad, maize and cotton besides paddy and wheat. Also, the farmers were told that for this they will have to enter into a 5-year agreement with the Indian Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation NAFED and the Cotton Corporation of India. This meeting lasted for 5 hours. No consensus was reached in this as well.
3 important things related to the movement after the failure of 4 talks…
1. HC asked to open Shambhu border, Haryana government went to the Supreme Court
To stop the farmers at Shambhu border, Haryana Police closed the road by barricading. Against this, the traders of Ambala filed a petition in the High Court. The High Court ordered the opening of the border in a week. But, the Haryana government went to the Supreme Court against this. The Supreme Court has held 10 hearings in this case. During this time, a committee was also formed under the leadership of a retired Justice. Which could settle the matter by mediating between the farmers and the government, but the farmers’ agitation continues.
2. Tried to march to Delhi three times
After the Center also stopped the talks, the farmers decided to march to Delhi. But, the Haryana government refused to give permission to go to Delhi with tractors. After this, a group of 101 farmers were sent to Delhi. However, Haryana Police also stopped them at the barricading of Shambhu border. The farmers tried to march to Delhi on 6, 8 and 14 December but the police stopped them all three times. Tear gas shells were fired at the farmers.
3. Dallewal started a hunger strike, the matter reached the SC
Meanwhile, farmer leader Jagjit Dallewal announced a hunger strike by transferring property in the name of his son, daughter-in-law and grandson. However, before the hunger strike on 26 November 2024, the Punjab Police took him into custody. But, he started the hunger strike there itself. Under pressure from the farmers, the Punjab Police released him on December 1. Since then, he has been on hunger strike. Meanwhile, the matter reached the Supreme Court. But, Dallewal refused to take medical help. There were about 10 hearings in the court regarding his health. After which the Center invited him for talks on 14 February. Then Dallewal agreed to medical facilities.
If the talks do not work out, then we will march to Delhi
Farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher said that we know how to fight. If we do not lose on the ground, then we will not lose on table talk. If the meeting with the central government is not successful. So the farmers can decide to march towards Delhi on the 25th.
