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Shambhu Border: Police have detained farmer leaders staging a sit-in protest in support of their demands at Khanauri and Shambhu borders. Police detained several farmer leaders, including Sarwan Singh Pandher and Jagjit Singh Dallewal, in Mohali on Wednesday when they were heading towards the Shambhu and Khanauri protest sites after a meeting with a central delegation here. At the same time, the tents of farmers set up at Khanauri and Shambhu borders are being removed. Farmer leader Gurmanet Singh Mangat also expressed concern that the Punjab Police may remove protesters from two agitation sites located on the Punjab-Haryana border.
Heavy police force is deployed at Khanauri and Shambhu borders. According to the latest information, the protest site has been evacuated. Internet service has been shut down in Patiala. The United Kisan Morcha (non-political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha have been agitating since February last year. They say that their agitation will continue until the government accepts their demands.
Farmers’ demands
- Guarantee purchase of all 23 crops at Minimum Support Price (MSP)
- All loans on farmers should be waived off.
- The price of all crops should be given 50 percent more than the cost as per Swaminathan Commission
- Demand to restore the Land Acquisition Act, 2013
- Pension scheme of Rs 10,000 per month should be implemented for farmers
- Demand to cancel Electricity Amendment Bill 2022
- Farmers injured in Lakhimpur Kheri violence should get proper compensation
- The accused of Lakhimpuri Kheri violence should get severe punishment
- The cases registered against farmers due to the agitation over agricultural laws should be withdrawn
- The families of those killed during the farmers’ movement should get proper compensation
- A job should be given to one of the families of those killed during the farmers’ movement
Talks inconclusive
Earlier, the seventh round of talks between farmers and the government in Chandigarh remained inconclusive. However, the Union ministers involved in the talks said that the interest of the farmers is paramount. After talks that lasted for more than three hours, Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said that the talks will continue and the next meeting will be held on May 4. Shivraj said, “Positive and constructive discussions took place in a cordial atmosphere. Talks will continue. The next meeting will be held on May 4.” However, he did not answer any questions from the media. The discussion mainly focused on the demand for a legal guarantee of MSP for crops.
Shivraj, Piyush Goyal, Prahlad Joshi spoke
The farmer leaders insisted that there would be no problem in implementing the law guaranteeing MSP (for crops). They also referred to media reports that the US government is pressuring the Indian government to remove import duty on agricultural products. Apart from Shivraj, Consumer Affairs Minister Prahlad Joshi and Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal also attended the talks held at the Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Public Administration in Sector-26 in Chandigarh. Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema, Agriculture Minister Gurmeet Singh Khuddian and Food and Civil Supplies Minister Lal Chand Kataruchak also participated in the talks. This was the seventh round of talks between the two sides since February last year.
Government committed to welfare of farmers
Addressing the farmers, Shivraj reiterated that the government is committed to their welfare. He recalled how the government has been regularly making policy interventions to address the problems faced by farmers across the country. An official release said that the legal, economic and other aspects of various demands of the farmers were considered in the meeting. It said that based on the discussions, the government has decided to consult with farmer organizations across the country as well as other stakeholders including states and union territories, traders, exporters and food processing industry.
