News Brief
Here's What Came Out Of The Late-Night "Fruitful" Talks Between Punjab Farmers And Union Ministers
Farmers Protest. (Representative Image)
The third round of discussions between protesting farmers in Punjab and three central ministers concluded after stretching well past midnight yesterday (15 February).
After the discussions, Union Agriculture Minister Arjun Munda expressed satisfaction with the meeting, describing it as "very positive," with plans to reconvene on Sunday (18 February) evening.
The talks, which centered on crucial issues including MSP, the Swaminathan report, and debt waivers, were hailed as "fruitful" by farmer union leaders, reported Indian Express.
Sarvan Singh Pandher, coordinator of the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha said, “If the commitments made during the meeting are translated into action, it would be highly beneficial for the farmer.”
While Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann said he would continue to broker peace for the state as he didn’t want to see the youth facing teargas shells.
“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.", he added.
A notable outcome of the discussions was the assurance from central ministers to restore internet services in the state and reinstate suspended social media pages.
Jagjit Singh Dallewal, president of the Bharatiya Kisan Union (Ekta Sidhupur), acknowledged the government's acknowledgment of the need for dialogue on critical issues like MSP and debts.
He said, “We engaged in a detailed discussion, and the government acknowledged the need for dialogue on MSP and shared debts, committing to further discussions.”
Efforts to address concerns surrounding spurious seeds and fertilizers were also discussed during the marathon meeting.
The farmer 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.”
