Meeting between farmer leaders, Centre cordial; next round of talks on Feb 22

The crucial meeting between the protesting farmer unions -- Samyukt Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha -- and the Centre was held here in a cordial atmosphere on Friday evening. The two sides decided to meet again on February 22. Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan is likely to take part in the next meeting.

The talks between the two sides resumed after a year. During the course of this year, 60 farmers have died during the protests at the Shambhu and Khanauri borders. BKU (Sidhupur) leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal has been on an indefinite fast since November-end last year, demanding that the Centre hold talks with them and meet their demands.

Union Minister for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Pralhad Joshi led the Central team, while the two farmer forums - KMM and SKM (Non-Political) were led by Sarwan Singh Pandher and Jagjit Singh Dallewal. The latter reached here in an ambulance from the Khanauri border. Besides these two, 26 other farmer leaders participated in the meeting.

Punjab Agriculture Minister Gurmeet Singh Khudian, Chief Secretary KAP Sinha, DGP Gaurav Yadav and Additional

Chief Secretary (Agriculture) Anurag Verma also participated in the deliberations.

The farmer leaders came prepared with 10 demands, including legal guarantee for MSP, implementation of the Swaminathan Commission Report, debt waiver for farmers and farm workers, a pension scheme for farmers and labourers, cancellation of cases registered against farmers during the 2020-21 protests, and compensation and job to kin of farmers who had died during the protests.