Farmers’ Delhi march to resume today
Farmers had rejected Centre’s proposal to procure five crops on MSP for five years
New Delhi - Ahead of the farmers’ ‘Delhi Chalo’ march scheduled on February 21, farmers leader Sarwan Singh Pandher said the Centre should allow them to hold their march on Wednesday.
“The intention of the government is very clear that they will not let us enter Delhi at any cost... If you don’t want to find a solution through discussion with farmers then we should be allowed to march towards Delhi,” he said.
“When we moved towards Delhi, shelling happened. Bullets were also used on the tyres of the tractors. Haryana DGP has said that police are not using tear gas on farmers. We demand punishment for those using it then. Wrong statements are also being given... The situation in Haryana is like that of Kashmir. We will march towards Delhi on February 21.
“The government has given us a proposal so that we backtrack from our original demands. The government will be responsible for whatever happens now,” said Sarwan Singh.
Though the Centre made a proposal to purchase crops at minimum support price (MSP), farmers rejected it on Monday evening, saying that the proposal had nothing for them.
Addressing a press conference, another leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal said the forums re
jected the proposal.
“After an analysis at the forums, it was found that there is nothing in the government’s proposal. Our government imports palm oil worth Rs 1.75 crore from outside, which also causes health issues for general public. If this money is given to the farmers of the country to
grow oil seed crops and MSP is announced, then that money can be used here. This proposal is not in favour of farmers. We reject it,” he said.
“If the government is not giving legal guarantee of MSP, it means that the farmers of the country will continue to be looted. This is not acceptable,”
he added.
After the fourth round of talks, Sarvan Singh, who is also the general secretary of Punjab Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee asserted that the farmers will continue to move forward with the ‘Delhi Chalo’ march on February 21 adding that the discussion will also be held on the proposal put forth by the government on MSP.
Now, the farmers will continue their ‘Dilli Chalo’ march on February 21. Earlier on Monday, Jagjit Singh Dallewal said that they had had a detailed discussion on farmers’ demands during the fourth round of talks with the government.
“The government has given us a proposal, which guarantees MSP on pulses, maize and cotton, which will be supervised and managed by two government agencies,” he said after the meeting between protesting farmer unions and Union Ministers in Chandigarh.