Come for talks, ready to set up panel: Agriculture minister to farmers

“Samadhan ke liye toh unko bhi aage aana padhega… Humne kaha ki baatcheet jaari rahegi. (They will also have to come forward to find a solution. We said that talks will continue),” Munda said.

Police use tear gas shells to disperse farmers during their ‘Delhi Chalo’ march at Punjab-Haryana Shambhu border, near Patiala, Tuesday, Feb. 13, 2024. (PTI Photo)

Munda, along with Food Minister Piyush Goyal and Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai, is leading the talks with the farmers.

“During the discussions, there were several issues on which there was agreement. We also clarified that the Government of India’s intentions are very clear. The government has launched schemes which the farmer organisations had never expected. Due to this, farmers are very enthusiastic and inspired and are raising production,” he said.

“There were several issues on which detailed discussions are required. These are the issues on which we cannot move forward without the state government. For this, you can form a small committee that is time-bound, which can then hold discussions with the states and listen to your views. Then, the Government of India can take action which can protect the interests of farmers,” Munda said.

He asserted that the government was committed towards protecting the interests of farmers. “The government is sensitive to all the issues which protect farmers’ interests, and wants to find a solution. We are open to talks,” he said.

Security personnel use teargas to disperse farmers at the Shambhu border on Tuesday. Kamleshwar Singh

“In the last committee (Sanjay Agrawal committee on MSP), the farmers did not send their representatives… If they think that three is not enough, they can send six names. We are ready for that too,” Munda said.

“We are now saying that if you did not go to that committee, it is not an issue. Going forward, either you set up a committee at the office-bearer level that can give suggestions after discussing all your viewpoints, or the agriculture ministers of states can sit together to find the solution… If they are ready for this, we can do it immediately,” he said.

Munda also asked Opposition leaders not to extract political mileage from the issue.

Police use tear gas shells to disperse farmers gathered at the Punjab-Haryana Shambhu border during their ‘Delhi Chalo’ march. (Express Photo by Gurmeet Singh)

Besides a legal guarantee for MSP, the farmers are demanding the implementation of the Swaminathan Commission’s recommendations for farmer welfare, pensions for farmers and farm labourers, and debt waiver, among others.

“The government is always ready for discussion. Whenever the demand arises, the government itself comes forward. This time too, our ministers went to Chandigarh and sat for several hours at night for discussions,” Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting Anurag Singh Thakur said.

The traffic curbs will remain on Wednesday, with North and East Delhi expected to
be the worst hit.

“We held two rounds of talks with the protesters. The government is clearly in favour of discussions, that is why we did not leave during the talks… the protesters left first. But the government is ready for further discussions as well,” he said.

“The protesters should understand that by adding new issues to the discussion, these cannot be resolved immediately. If you talk about India’s separation from WTO, about ending the free trade agreement… demand exclusion on the issue of stubble burning… these are not single-day decisions. We will have to talk to other stakeholders and states as well. That is why the government has also proposed to form a committee to discuss these issues in detail,” he said.