As the Centre considers establishing a panel involving all stakeholders to address the ongoing farmers’ protest and discuss issues, farmer leaders on Saturday demanded that the Centre bring an Ordinance to provide a legal guarantee for Minimum Support Price (MSP), amid protests in Punjab by farmers. This demand comes a day before the fourth round of talks between farm leaders and Union ministers regarding their various demands.
Sources within the government said that a proposal to form a committee is likely to be presented during the fourth-round meeting with farmers’ representatives on Sunday. The proposed committee will address various issues, including MSP, and may also seek nominations of representatives from farmer organisations for discussions. Notably, farmer unions did not take part in the high-powered committee on MSP set up by the government in 2021.
Union Ministers Arjun Munda, Piyush Goyal, and Nityanand Rai will meet with farmer leaders on Sunday for the fourth round of talks. The two sides previously met on February 8, 12, and 15, but those discussions remained inconclusive.
In another development, a mahapanchayat was held at Sisauli in Muzaffarnagar, where the Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) led by Rakesh Tikait announced that farmers will stage dharnas in Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab, and Uttarakhand on February 21. A resolution to this effect was passed in the mahapanchayat. “If the government does not accept farmers’ demands, farmers will launch a tractor march to Delhi in the last week of February,” he said.
Meanwhile, the situation at sensitive Delhi-Haryana borders largely remained peaceful on the fifth day of the protest. The situation remained tense at Shambhu and Khanauri points at the Haryana and Punjab borders on Saturday as farmers’ groups tried their best to break the barricades. The Bhartiya Kisan Union (Charuni) organised a tractor march in Haryana, while BKU (Ekta Ugrahan) held dharnas outside the residences of three senior BJP leaders in support of protesting farmers.
Speaking to reporters at the Shambhu border, Pandher demanded that the Centre should enact an ordinance to provide a legal guarantee for MSP, a key demand of farmers currently camping at the Shambhu and Khanauri points of the Punjab-Haryana border.
Stating that the Centre has the right to make “political” decisions, Pandher said, “If it (the Centre) brings an ordinance, it can do so overnight if it wants. If the government desires a resolution to the farmers’ protest, then it should issue an ordinance with immediate effect stating that it will enact a law on MSP, and then discussions can proceed further.” Pandher added that as far as the issue of modalities is concerned, any ordinance has a validity of six months.
Regarding the demand for “C2 plus 50 per cent” as per the Swaminathan Commission’s recommendation, Pandher said that the government was offering a price according to the “A2 plus FL” formula. “Under the same formula, an ordinance can be brought,” he added. On the issue of farm debt waiver, Pandher mentioned that the government claims the loan amount needs assessment. He suggested that the government can collect data from banks for this purpose, stating, “It is a question of political willpower.” “They (the Centre) are saying it has to be discussed with the states. You leave aside the states. You talk about the Centre and central banks and then finalise how to waive farmers’ debt,” said Pandher. He emphasised that the other demands of farmers are also crucial.
Farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal also stressed that the government should bring an Ordinance “to give something to the people of the country.” “The government should bring the ordinance with the intention that it is implemented immediately and within six months, it can be converted into law without any problem,” said Dallewal, who spearheaded the ‘Delhi Chalo’ call along with Pandher.
Regarding claims suggesting that providing the MSP for all 23 crops would require substantial funds, Dallewal stated that one study indicates a need for Rs 2.50 lakh crore, while another study suggests only Rs 36,000 crore is needed.
“If the government prioritises producers and consumers and pays less attention to corporates, then the issue can be resolved,” he said. He also stressed the promotion of small agro-based industries in villages. Dallewal highlighted that the agriculture sector generates 50 percent of employment.
“The agriculture sector contributes 20 per cent to the GDP. If the agriculture sector accounts for 20 per cent of the GDP, then why is it difficult for the government to allocate Rs 2.50 lakh crore?” he questioned. “We are demanding a law on the purchase of crops at MSP. It is our demand that no one should buy crops in any state for less than the MSP,” he added. Pandher noted that the government is importing crops like pulses from other countries. If the government guarantees MSP on crops like pulses, farmers can produce them here, he said.
