Talks between farmers & Haryana CM remain inconclusive; SKM huddles to chalk out strategy

The talks between Haryana farm leaders and Chief Minister Manohar Lal remained inconclusive on Friday after the two sides failed to reach a consensus over the demands put forth by the farmer leaders’ delegation. After the three-hour-long meeting at Chief Minister’s official residence in Chandigarh, Bharatiya Kisan Union (Charuni) president Gurnam Singh Charuni, said that the talks failed as there was no agreement between the two sides on the four demands. Charuni said the farm union leaders had sought withdrawal of cases registered against farmers during the agitation, suitable compensation and government jobs for the families of the “martyred farmers” and allotment of land to build a memorial for them.

Bharat Kisan Union's Rakesh Tikait said although the government has agreed to take back the cases registered against farmers, the demand for compensation to the kin of the deceased remains pending. "Like Punjab, we need state-wise compensation for deaths of farmers and employment," he said. 

Saying that the government failed to give a satisfactory response to the farmers’ demands, Charuni said now the SKM would announce future course action at its meeting at the Singh on Saturday. Ten farmer leaders including All-India Kisan Sabha, Haryana, vice-president Inderjit Singh, Rakesh Bains, Joginder Nain, and Abhimanyu Kuhar also attended the meeting.

According to reporters, the state government expressed its inability to announce the withdrawal of all cases against farmers due to the technical and legal hitches as a number of cases were already being heard in courts. There was also no consensus on financial relief to farmers and government jobs for the kin of the over 70 deceased farmers of Haryana.

Regarding the demand for a law guaranteeing MSP, Rakesh Tikair said, the demand for MSP is from the Central government and talks regarding the same has just begun. "We won't develop any strategies today, we'll only discuss how the agitation moves forward," he said at the Farmers Association meeting today.

Haryana DyCM Chautala assures steps on MSP demands

Days after the withdrawal of the farm laws Haryana Deputy Chief Minister Dushyant Chautala had urged demonstrating farmers to return home and free the borders of the state as the Centre is taking steps on their demands over MSP.

"Even the non-lethal cases against farmers will be taken back. Farmers demanded MSP in Haryana and our government, in the last 2 harvests, directly transferred Rs 30,000 crores for MSP on paddy crops. I want the Centre to replicate this all over the nation," Chautala said.

Image: PTI/ANI