Thousands of farmers resumed their agitation two days after the fourth round of talks with the government over their demands, including a legal guarantee for the minimum support price (MSP) for crops and a farm debt waiver, failed.
The protesting farmers have rejected the BJP-led Centre’s proposal for procuring pulses, maize and cotton at MSP by government agencies for five years. This was proposed in the fourth round of talks.
Talks between the farmer leaders and three Union ministers, Piyush Goyal, Munda and Nityananad Rai, have been held on February 8, 12, 15 and 18.
The farmers are also demanding the implementation of the Swaminathan Commission’s recommendations, pension for farmers and farm labourers, no hike in the electricity tariff, withdrawal of police cases, “justice” for the victims of the 2021 Lakhimpur Kheri violence, reinstatement of the Land Acquisition Act, 2013, and compensation to the families of the farmers who died during a previous agitation in 2020–21.
(With inputs from PTI, ENS and ANI)
