Keep out Punjab govt from May 4 talks, farmer unions urge Union minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan

Following this letter, speculation is rife whether the Union government will shift the venue to Delhi or continue with the meeting in Chandigarh. During the March 19 meeting, Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema, Consumer Affairs Minister Lal Chand Kataruchak, and State Agriculture Minister Gurmeet Singh Khudian were present. In all previous rounds of talks, the Punjab government had acted as a mediator. Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann had himself participated in three rounds of discussions in February last year, presenting himself as an advocate of farmers’ interests.

In their letter, the farmer bodies emphasised that key issues related to agriculture and farmers can only be resolved through dialogue. They reiterated that they have always been open to negotiations and highlighted that their last meeting with the Centre, held on March 19, 2025, was conducted in a cordial atmosphere, with an agreement to reconvene on May 4.

“However, we express deep resentment over the events that unfolded after the March 19 meeting. The Punjab government betrayed the trust of farmer leaders by arresting them and sending them to jail while they were returning from the meeting. Not only this, the Punjab government used force to crush peaceful protests at Shambhu and Khanauri borders, thereby insulting the dignity and self-respect of farmers nationwide,” said Jagjit Singh Dallewal, convenor of SKM (Non-Political).

The SKM (Non-Political) and KMM leaders stated that since the March 19 meeting had been organised on a written invitation from the Central Government, it was also the Centre’s responsibility to ensure that no such incidents took place. Citing widespread anger among farmers over the Punjab government’s actions, they requested the Centre to respect the farmers’ sentiments and ensure that no Punjab government officials are included in the May 4 meeting.

Both SKM (Non-Political) and KMM concluded that if Punjab government representatives are present, they will be forced— in accordance with justice and the sentiments of farmers across the country — to abstain from participating in the talks. They have also requested the Central Government to communicate its decision at the earliest through a written response.

The letter was signed by Abhimanyu Kohar, Jagjit Singh Dallewal, Sukhjit Singh Hardojhande, Sarwan Singh Pandher, Sukhwinder Kaur, among others.

It is pertinent to mention that SKM (Non-Political) and KMM had been staging dharnas at the Shambhu and Khanauri borders since February 13, 2024. The protests were cleared on March 19, 2025, soon after the seventh round of talks concluded. Hundreds of farmers were arrested on March 19 and later released on March 28. National highways NH-44 and NH-52 were cleared by the Punjab Police using force, with farmers alleging that many of their trolleys and belongings went missing during the action.

Previous rounds of talks between the farmer unions and the Centre were held on February 8, 12, 15, and 18 in 2024 and later on February 14, 22, and March 19 in 2025.

The farmers’ key demands include a legal guarantee for Minimum Support Price (MSP) for all crops, complete loan waivers for farmers to address mounting debts, and addressing concerns about international trade agreements and their potential adverse impact on Indian farmers.