Farm unions agree to hold third round of unity dialogue on Feb 12

The Samyukt Kisan Morcha (Non- Political) and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM) have finally agreed to engage in the third round of Ekta talks with the SKM (All-India) on February 12.

The meeting is scheduled to take place two days before the forums protesting at Shambhu and Khanauri hold talks with the Centre over their demands.

Two earlier rounds of discussions between the farmer groups had remained inconclusive as differences emerged among them over a 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 ensuring minimum support price (MSP) for crops, the SKM (All-India) has 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 farm laws.

KMM convener Sarwan Singh Pandher and SKM (Non-Political) leader Kaka Singh Kotra said they would send delegations for talks with SKM (All-India) leaders at Chandigarh on February 12. “We advocate maximum Ekta (unity). It is up to the SKM (All-India) whether they want maximum or minimum unity,” said Pandher. He, meanwhile, hinted at a fresh stir on February 25, if the talks failed.

Youths deported from US invited

Farm leader Sarwan Singh Pandher said the farm unions had decided to invite the youth deported from the US to their mahapanchayats.

The manner in which the illegal immigrants were handcuffed and chained was a violation of human rights and United Nations Convention Against Torture, he said.