The farmers on Monday held a congregation named ‘MSP Dilao, Kisan Bachao maha panchayat in Kurukshetra and subsequently blocked the Delhi-Chandigarh highway to demand minimum support price for sunflower seed.
The mahapanchayat was organised by Bharatiya Kisan Union (Charuni) and took place at a grain market in Pipli, near National Highway-44.
Following the mahapanchayat, the farmers assembled on the highway and placed their tractors and trolleys there, causing a blockade and disrupting traffic on the busy highway connecting the national Capital to the northern states. The police redirected traffic through alternative routes but chaos prevailed as hundreds of vehicles were lined up on the road.
During the mahapanchayat, Karam Singh Mathana, a prominent farmer leader, mentioned that the local administration had promised them a meeting with chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar to discuss their demands. However, they were later informed that the chief minister had already left Karnal. "Because of this, the local committee which had organised the mahapanchayat decided to block the National Highway-44 till our demands are met," Mathana said.
On June 6, farmers led by Bharatiya Kisan Union (Charuni) chief Gurnam Singh Charuni blocked National Highway-44 near Shahabad demanding that the government procure sunflower seeds at minimum support price. Police used water cannons and resorted to lathicharge to disperse the protesters. Later, nine BKU (Charuni) leaders, including its president, were arrested over various charges, including rioting and unlawful assembly.
Bharatiya Kisan Union leader Rakesh Tikait, who attended the mahapanchayat on Monday, said the government should procure sunflower on MSP and the farmer leaders arrested in Shahabad should be released. Addressing the Mahapanchayat, Tiakit announced that the Samyukta Kisan Morcha would start a pan-India agitation if a law for MPS, "as promised by the Union government", is not brought.
The government announces MSP but fails to procure it at that rate, he alleged.
Tiakit condemned the police action against Churni and the farmers who on June 6 blocked National Highway-44 and asked, "What wrong has the BKU (Charuni) leader done when he sought MSP for sunflower crop."
Apart from leaders of various khaps and Bharatiya Kisan Union leader Rakesh Tikait, Olympic medal-winning wrestler Bajrang Punia, one of the grapplers who have been demanding action against outgoing Wrestling Federation of India chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, were present at the mahapanchayat.
Addressing the mahapanchayat, some farm leaders criticised the government for its "anti-farmers" policies and police actions against their leaders. They demanded that the government procure sunflower seeds at MSP and that the protesters arrested in Shahabad recently be released.
Chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar had on Saturday released Rs 29.13 crore as interim compensation to 8,528 farmers for sunflowers grown on 36,414 acres. The farmers are demanding that the state government procure sunflowers at an MSP of Rs 6,400 per quintal. Under the Bhavantar Bharpai Yojana -- price difference payment scheme -- the state government is giving Rs 1,000 per quintal as interim support for sunflower crop sold below MSP.