Chandigarh: Farmers' representatives on Tuesday met Punjab Agriculture Minister Gurmeet Singh Khudian over their demands on the last day of their three-day protest under the banner of Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM). Addressing the media after the meeting, Khundian said that the farmers will submit a detailed memorandum to the state government in December regarding their demands and the farmers' representatives will also meet Punjab Chief Minister Bjagwant Singh Mann on December 19.
Farmers from Punjab and Haryana continued their protest for the third day at the Mohali-Chandigarh border to press the Centre to accept their demands, including a legal guarantee for the minimum support price (MSP). According to official sources, the farmers' leaders are also scheduled to meet Punjab Governor Banwarilal Purohit to discuss their demands.
The protest is being held under the banner of Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM), an umbrella body of several Farmer Unions. The protesting farmers are demanding the withdrawal of cases filed against them during the 2020-21 stir against the now-repealed farm laws, compensation and jobs for a family member of farmers, who died during the stir, loan waiver and pension.
Farmer leader Harmeet Singh Kadian said Governor Purohit has called them for a meeting on Tuesday. Kadian said, "Leaders from SKM will meet Punjab Governor Banwarilal Purohit on Tuesday and submit their memorandum." He also said that they have not received any response from the Punjab government regarding their state-related demands. The next course of action of the SKM will be decided on Tuesday, he added.
He further stated that farmers have been demanding the withdrawal of cases filed against agitators during the 2020-21 stir and jobs for family members of those who died during the farm laws protest. The farmers also demanded an extension of MSP to other crops, a loan waiver and Rs 10,000 for farmers aged 60 and above, Kadian added. Action against Minister Ajay Misra in the Lakhimpur Kheri case is also one of the demands of farmers.
Stressing on giving legal guarantee to the MSP, farmer leader Rakesh Tikait, who also participated in the protest, said that farmers in many states across the country were not getting the assured price for their crops. Seeking a loan waiver, Tikait also said that farmers in the country have nearly Rs 15 lakh crore of debt.
More than 30 farmers' bodies, including Bharti Kisan Union (Ekta Ugrahan), BKU (Lakhowal), and BKU (Dakunda), which are part of the SKM, are participating in the protest, which began on Sunday after scores of farmers from many parts of the state gathered at the Mohali-Chandigarh border near the Phase-11 in Mohali. Farmers from Haryana also converged at Sector 5 in Panchkula.
Farmers, who came with a cargo of essential items such as ration, utensils and cylinders for the three-day protest erected tents and set up a stage in the middle of the road. Amidst the protest, the Punjab and Chandigarh police beefed up security near the Mohali-Chandigarh border and also issued traffic advisories during the protest.
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