A meeting was held on Friday between the Centre and farmers' representatives in Chandigarh to discuss the demand of the farmers, including a legal guarantee on the minimum support price on crops. Following the meeting, Union Consumer Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi announced that the next round of discussions will take place on February 22 under the leadership of Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan.
The discussion came after a year-long protest by the farmers, who have been sitting at the Khanauri border in Punjab's Sangrur district pressing on their demands. Joshi said that the government had a positive meeting with the farmer leaders and said that they were also informed about the decisions taken by the PM Modi-led government in their interest.
"We had a very positive meeting with farmer leaders... Farmers put forth their demands in the meeting... We heard all the demands of the farmer leaders... We apprised them of the decisions taken by the PM Modi-led government in the interest of farmers... A meeting will be held on February 22 under the leadership of Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan," he said after the meeting concluded.
Joshi also said that he urged farm leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal to end his hunger strike against the government.
"I urged farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal, on behalf of the Central government, to end his hunger strike. We are ready for the talks... He told me that he would think about it," he said.
The meeting was led by the Union minister of consumer affairs, food and public distribution and was attended by a 28-member delegation from the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha spearheading the farmers' ongoing protest.
The Union Minister said that the farmer leaders shared their views regarding their demands from the government and that he also conveyed the Centre's demands to them in which they "showed interest". Farmers also put forth certain demands during the meeting.
"We also conveyed to them the details of what we have done as per the demands of farmers that were in the public domain," Joshi added.
Meanwhile, farmer leaders have said that the atmosphere during the meeting was "cordial" and that they strongly put forth their views backed by facts, to which the government did not have an answer, news agency PTI reported.
Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann slammed the Centre over the meeting saying, "They gave farmers time to meet after one year... It shows how much they love Punjabis. Farmers may sit on hunger strike or face hardships but they are not bothered."
Punjab Minister Khuddian, who also attended the meeting said that Dallewal attended the meeting despite the demise of his sister's granddaughter. Khuddian added that Dallewal urged the Union minister to consider the legitimate demands put forth by the farmers in a sympathetic manner and resolve them at the earliest, PTI reported.