‘Dilli Chalo’ march: Third meeting between farmers and Union ministers positive, points to possible resolution

Sarvan Singh Pandher, coordinator of the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha, summed up the mood of the dialogue: “If the commitments made during the meeting are translated into action, it would be highly beneficial for the farmer.”

Addressing the media, Mann said all the demands made by the farmers were discussed in a positive environment. “Since the Punjab farmer is affected the most, I came forward as chief of the state. Detailed discussions took place on all the issues.“

“I took up the issue of internet suspension in three districts and its impact on students who are taking their exams. What is their fault? The farmers showed shells fired at them. We said the farmers should not be treated like this.”

The Chief Minister said he had brought the Centre to the discussion table three times and was committed to addressing the issue.

Three Union ministers — Food and Civil Supplies Minister Piyush Goyal, Agriculture Minister Arjun Munda and Minister of State Nityanand Rai — held a closed door meeting with Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann at a hotel in Chandigarh.

Assurances were obtained from the Centre to tell the Haryana government to exercise restraint. “We have told them to tell the Haryana government not to fire ammunition in our jurisdiction,” he said.

The CM said that on their part, the farm leaders had issued an appeal the previous day to uphold peace, and they had abided by it. “I do not want to expose our youth to tear gas shells and bullets,” the CM said.

“I am with Punjab and Punjabis. As a custodian of the state, I have to see the welfare of 3 crore people. We do not want a situation where we face shortage of fuel, and other goods. The andolan will continue with peace.”

Jagjit Singh Dallewal, president of the Bharatiya Kisan Union (Ekta Sidhupur), said, “We engaged in a detailed discussion, and the government acknowledged the need for dialogue on MSP and shared debts, committing to further discussions.”

Sarvan Singh Pandher, coordinator of the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha, emphasised the importance of discussions leading to a resolution. He said, “We assured them of our commitment to dialogue.”

Expressing concern about the current environment, including the suspension of social media accounts and teargas shelling during peaceful interactions, Pandher added, “We said we are not Pakistan. We seek a peaceful solution, not confrontation. They assured us that our pages would be restarted.”

He added that the protest will carry on, and efforts will be made to garner public support.

The leaders said that they will relay the information shared here to people at the morcha. “The ministers assured us of paperwork and updates in the Sunday meeting. We did this marathon meeting because we want to resolve things before the code of conduct comes into force.”

The discussion also covered spurious seeds and fertilisers. The union ministers were told that those engaging in such activities should be arrested.

The meeting, which began at 8.15 pm, concluded around 1.30 am.

Before meeting the farmers, the Central ministers – Union Agriculture Minister Arjun Munda, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal and Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai – held a closed-door meeting with Mann at a hotel in Chandigarh.

Following this meeting, Mann, accompanied by Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema, arrived at the Mahatma Gandhi State Institute of Public Administration (MGSIPA), where they were closeted with the farmer leaders for about half-an-hour before the Union ministers arrived.

Sources said Mann and Cheema relayed a proposal from the Centre to the farmers, but the details are not known. According to sources, the proposal, if accepted, could offer a resolution to the ongoing dispute.

The farmers, who are demanding a law on MSP and loan waivers among other issues, were represented by Pandher and Dallewal.

The two are among those spearheading the ‘Dilli Chalo’ march by Punjab farmers which began on Tuesday. The farmers have been stopped at the Shambhu and Khanauri border points with Haryana, where they faced teargas, water cannons and rubber pellets.