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3mo ago

Farmers and Central Government Hold Talks on Key Demands, Next Meeting Scheduled for March 19

Discussions in Chandigarh focused on minimum support price guarantees, debt waivers, and other farmer demands, but no resolution has been reached yet.

In February 2024, four rounds of talks were held between the Centre and protesting farmers. However, all of them remained inconclusive.
Agriculture minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan greets fasting farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal. (PTI)
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Overview

  • Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan led a meeting with 28 farmer leaders in Chandigarh to address their long-standing demands, including a legal guarantee for minimum support prices (MSP).
  • The discussions, described as cordial and positive, lasted over two hours but ended inconclusively, with both sides agreeing to meet again on March 19.
  • Farmers have been protesting at Punjab-Haryana border points since February 2024, demanding debt waivers, pension schemes, and justice for victims of the 2021 Lakhimpur Kheri violence, among other issues.
  • Farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal has been on a fast-unto-death since November 2024, intensifying calls for the government to legislate on MSP and address their broader demands.
  • The Modi-led government emphasized its commitment to farmers' welfare, while farmer representatives pressed for concrete actions, noting that prior talks had failed to yield substantive outcomes.