Farm bodies to hold third round of unity talks on February 12

Farm groups protesting at Punjab’s border points with Haryana will hold on February 12 their third round of unity talks with the Samyukt Kisan Morcha, an umbrella body of farmer unions that had led a year-long stir in 2020-21 against the now-scrapped three central agriculture laws.

Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) leader Raminder Singh Patiala said the meeting is likely to take place in Chandigarh.

The meeting is scheduled to take place two days before the protesting Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM) and Samyukt Kisan Morcha (Non- Political) are to hold talks with the Centre over their demands.

Farmers reject agri policy framework

New Delhi: The Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) on Friday unanimously rejected the Central Government's National Policy Framework for Agricultural Marketing as a "reincarnation of the three black farm laws". In a meeting held at HKS Surjeet Bhawan, which was attended by 165 delegates from 73 farmer organisations of 12 states, the general body unanimously rejected the framework and said it was being forced through the backdoor via state government.

Advertisement

Earlier, two rounds of discussions between the farmer groups remained inconclusive as differences emerged among them over the common strategy for their joint stir against the Centre.

While the current protest has remained restricted to the demands, including debt waiver and a law assuring a minimum support price (MSP) for crops, the SKM had been claiming that the MSP is secondary to the draft National Policy Framework on Agricultural Marketing as it contains provisions of the now-scrapped three Central farm laws.

The SKM representatives have also not been invited by the Centre for the meeting called to discuss farmer issues in Chandigarh on February 14.

The coordinator of the KMM and SKM (Non-Political), Sarwan Singh Pandher, said they never backed out of talks with the SKM and were looking forward to the meeting.

“However, we are yet to receive a formal invite or letter for the meeting. We are hoping for the maximum unity to strengthen our protest,” he said. When asked if the SKM wants to be part of the talks with the Centre, Raminder Singh Patiala said the unity talks on January 12 are more important for them.

Pandher was not available for comments over it.

Meanwhile, the indefinite fast by farm leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal completed its 60 days on Friday.

A day after Dallewal declined the Supreme Court’s suggestion to visit the Chandigarh’s PGI for a “proper medical check-up” before meeting the Centre representatives on February 14, Deputy Commissioner Priya Yadav and SSP Nanak Singh met him at the protest site for 15 minutes. The SSP later told reporters that the health of the farmer leader appears to have improved ever since he has started taking medical aid on January 19.