Farmers gather at Punjab-Haryana border at Shambhu, despite the police crackdown, as the “Delhi Chalo” protests enter the third day.
The farmers convoy led by the Samyukta Kisan Morcha and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha, will reportedly hold the third round of negotiations with Union ministers on Thursday.
Union Agriculture and Farmer Welfare Minister Arjun Munda, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal and the Minister of State for Home Affairs, Nityanand Rai, will attend the meeting with farmer leaders in Chandigarh, scheduled at 5 pm on Thursday.
Farmers’ groups will pressure the union government to implement the 21-point demand charter.
A legislation ensuring a minimum support price for agricultural products and the implementation of the MS Swaminathan Commission Report’s wider recommendations, are some of the key aspects of the charter.
The farmer leaders have guaranteed that they will not try to continue their march till the third round of talks concludes, PTI reported.
The future course of action will be decided according to the outcome of the talks, they added.
Meanwhile in Punjab, a group of farmers blocked trains as part of their protest on Thursday.
Since the border passages connecting Delhi with Haryana were barricaded and blocked by the police, different parts of the national capital witnessed huge traffic jams.
The opposition leaders strongly criticised the BJP government’s negligence in responding to the demands of the protesting farmers and the excessive use of force against them.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK leader MK Stalin wrote an open letter condemning union government’s suppression of protests.
“The BJP government has created an environment worse than a war zone to suppress the farmers’ struggle,” it stated.
“While the farmers protested against the three farm laws for nearly a year, the union government portrayed them as terrorists. Unable to suppress their struggle, the farm laws were withdrawn. But the government didn’t announce any plans for improving the lives of the farmers,” he added.
The Samyukta Kisan Morcha, along with central trade unions, have called for an All India strike on Friday.
