The farmers held a congregation named “MSP Dilao, Kisan Bachao Mahapanchayat” in Kurukshetra on Monday and subsequently blocked the Delhi-Chandigarh highway to demand the minimum support price for sunflower seeds.
The mahapanchayat was organised by the Bharatiya Kisan Union (Charuni) 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 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 National Highway-44 until 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 the minimum support price.
Police used water cannons and resorted to lathi-charge to disperse the protesters. Later, nine BKU (Charuni) leaders, including its president, were arrested on various charges, including rioting and unlawful assembly.
Bharatiya Kisan Union leader Rakesh Tikait, who attended the mahapanchayat, said the government should procure sunflower on MSP and the farmer leaders arrested in Shahabad should be released. Addressing the mahapanchayat, Tikait announced that the Samyukta Kisan Morcha would start a pan-India agitation if a law for MSP, “as promised by the Union Government”, is not enacted.
He alleged that the government announces MSP but fails to procure it at that rate.
Tikait condemned the police action against Charuni and the farmers who blocked National Highway-44 on June 6 and asked, “What wrong has the BKU (Charuni) leader done when he sought MSP for the sunflower crop?”
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.
Some farm leaders criticised the government for its alleged “anti-farmers” policies and police actions against their leaders. They demanded that the government procure sunflower seeds at MSP and release the protesters arrested in Shahabad recently.
Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar released `29.13 crore as interim compensation to 8,528 farmers for sunflowers grown on 36,414 acres on Saturday. The farmers are demanding that the state government procure sunflowers at an MSP of `6,400 per quintal. Under the Bhavantar Bharpai Yojana, the price difference payment scheme, the state government is providing `1,000 per quintal as interim support for sunflower crops sold below MSP.