Farmers' Meeting with Centre Ends Inconclusively, Orgs Threaten To Go Ahead With Delhi March Over MSP Demand

Union ministers, including Food and Consumer Affairs Minister Piyush Goyal and Agriculture Minister Arjun Munda, held a second round of discussions with farmer leaders in Chandigarh.

Farmer leaders Sarwan Singh Pandher (L) and Jagjit Singh Dallewal (R) speak to the media after inconclusive talks with the Modi government. ( Image Source :ANI )

New Delhi: Amidst calls for the 'Delhi Chalo March' from various farmer organisations, a crucial meeting between central ministers and farmers was held in Chandigarh on Monday (February 12). The 5-hour-long meeting between farmer organisations and the government remained inconclusive.

According to inputs, Farmer organisations remained adamant on the demand for MSP and have given an ultimatum to the government till 10 am. Farmer organisations accused the government of adopting a stubborn attitude over the matter. If the government does not agree on MSP demand, the march to Delhi will commence at 10 am on Tuesday, the leaders said.

चंडीगढ़ में किसान संगठनों और सरकार के बीच 5 घंटे तक चली बैठक बेनतीजा रही है. किसान संगठन MSP की मांग पर अड़े हैं और सरकार को सुबह 10 बजे तक का अल्टीमेटम दिया है. किसान संगठनों का कहना है कि सरकार का रवैया जिद्दी है. सरकार नहीं मानी तो मंगलवार सुबह 10 बजे दिल्ली कूच करेंगे.… pic.twitter.com/I5oPCfGQU7

— ABP News (@ABPNews) February 12, 2024

Earlier, sources said there was agreement on providing compensation to the farmers killed in Lakhimpur, and there is consensus on repealing the Electricity Act 2020.

It has also been agreed that all cases filed against farmers during the farmers' agitation will be withdrawn. However, contentious issues still persist regarding the MSP Guarantee, farmer debt waiver, and the Swaminathan Commission report.

On the meeting between Central Ministers and farmer leaders, Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM) Coordinator KMM Sarwan Singh Pandher told the media, "We will go Delhi tomorrow at 10 am. The government did not have any proposal... The agitation has been there... We tried that the discussion with the ministers should bring some conclusion in our favour... Whenever the government calls for talks, we will go."

#WATCH | Chandigarh: On the meeting between Central Ministers and farmer leaders, Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM) Coordinator KMM Sarwan Singh Pandher says, "We will go Delhi tomorrow at 10 am. The government did not have any proposal... The agitation has been there... We tried that… pic.twitter.com/asZRvAApFJ

— ANI (@ANI) February 12, 2024

"The meeting went on for long. There were discussions on every demand. But these were not demands, these were the commitments made by the government at different times... My opinion is that we should move towards Delhi at 10 am," farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal told news agency ANI.

#WATCH | Chandigarh: On the meeting between Central Ministers and farmer leaders, farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal says, "The meeting went on for long. There were discussions on every demand. But these were not demands, these were the commitments made by the government at… pic.twitter.com/PWsNYQcoRa

— ANI (@ANI) February 12, 2024

According to ANI, Union Minister Arjun Munda told the media, "... There was a serious discussion with the farmers on every topic. The government wants to bring every solution through talks... We reached an agreement on some topics. But there were some topics for which we said that a committee should be made for a permanent solution... Any problem can be solved with discussion. We are hopeful that we will bring solutions... Our motive is that the rights of the farmers and the public are protected..."

#WATCH | Chandigarh: On the meeting between Central Ministers and farmer leaders, Union Minister Arjun Munda says, "... There was a serious discussion with the farmers on every topic. The government wants to bring every solution through talks... We reached an agreement on some… pic.twitter.com/rLadmv9Xm7

— ANI (@ANI) February 12, 2024

Farmers are demanding legislation on the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for their crops and have called for a march on February 13 to exert pressure on the Centre.

The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha have announced that more than 200 farmer unions would head to Delhi to press the Centre to accept their demands, including the enactment of a law to guarantee a minimum support price (MSP) for crops.

Earlier in the day, tractor-trolleys in large numbers set out from different parts of Punjab to join the planned farmers' march towards Delhi.

Besides a legal guarantee for MSP, farmers are also demanding implementation of the Swaminathan Commission's recommendations, pensions for farmers and farm labourers, farm debt waiver, withdrawal of police cases, and "justice" for victims of the Lakhimpur Kheri violence, reinstatement of the Land Acquisition Act, 2013, withdrawal from the World Trade Organisation, and compensation for families of farmers who died during the previous 2020 agitation, among others, PTI reported.

The first meeting with the Union ministers was held on February 8 in which detailed discussions with the leaders of farmer organisations took place. 

SKM Clarifies It Has Not Given 'Delhi Chalo' Call

The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) on Monday clarified that it did not give the 'Delhi Chalo' call for February 13.

SKM along with the central trade unions (CTUs) has given a call for a nationwide strike and rural bandh on February 16. Several other unions and sectoral organisations have supported the call.

The 'Delhi Chalo' call for February 13 has been given by Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-political), a splinter group of the original SKM, and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha.

SKM expressed anguish over the Narendra Modi government's handling of the protests by erecting iron nails, barbed wires, and concrete barricades on the highways in Punjab and Delhi borders.