‘Delhi Chalo’ march: Talks with farmer leaders indecisive

The talks between farmers and Union ministers’ on Monday ended indecisive. A union leader stated that they will move ahead with their plan and would move towards Delhi as planned on February 13. .Union ministers Piyush Goyal, Arjun Munda, and Nityanand Rai held a second round of talks with farmer leaders on Monday everning. The discussion went on till 9 pm in the night, ahead of the the ‘Delhi Chalo’ march planned by over 200 farm unions on February 13. They resumed the talks after a short break.

The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-political) and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha have jointly announced the ‘Delhi Chalo’ march to press the Central government to address a multitude of demands, with a primary focus on the enactment of legislation guaranteeing a minimum support price (MSP) for crops.

Amidst these developments, farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal has raised concerns about the reported detention of farmers from Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh, who intended to join the march in support. Dallewal, who is the president of Bharti Kisan Union (Ekta Sidhupur), called for the immediate release of the detained farmers, highlighting the need for a positive atmosphere for constructive dialogue.

Dallewal expressed his scepticism about the government’s sincerity in holding dialogue while simultaneously detaining supporters. “On the one side, they (the Centre) are holding dialogue with us, and on the other hand, they are detaining our people. Then how will this dialogue take place?” he questioned.

In addition to addressing the detention issue, Dallewal criticized the Haryana government for implementing heavy security measures at the Punjab-Haryana borders, describing it as harassment towards farmers planning to join the ‘Delhi Chalo’ march.

As tensions rise and expectations heighten for a resolution, the upcoming meeting between Union ministers and farmer leaders aims to bridge the gap, understand concerns, and pave the way for a peaceful resolution that accommodates the farmers’ demands while ensuring public safety. The situation remains fluid, and stakeholders are closely monitoring developments.