Chandigarh:

The Centre will hold a meeting with Punjab’s protesting farmers on February 14 in Chandigarh to discuss their demands, a senior official of the Union government said on Saturday evening.

The breakthrough came after a delegation of officials from the Union Agriculture Ministry, led by joint secretary Priya Ranjan, met fasting farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal and held a meeting with the representatives of Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha.

The central government delegation also urged Dallewal, whose fast-unto-death entered 54th day on Saturday, to take medical aid so that he can participate in the proposed meeting.

Speaking to reporters at the Khanauri protest site, Ranjan said a high-level delegation was sent by the Centre keeping in mind the deteriorating health of Dallewal.

“We enquired about his health and held a meeting with the representatives (of protesting farmer bodies),” said Ranjan.

He said that the meeting will be held in Chandigarh on February 14.

“We urge him (Dallewal) to break his fast, take medical aid so that he can participate in the meeting,” he said.

Four rounds of meetings had taken place between the Central ministers and protesting farmers on February 8, 12, 15 and 18 last year, but talks had remained inconclusive.

Earlier in the day, farmers protesting at the Khanauri and Shambhu border points between Punjab and Haryana said they have received a proposal from the central government which they will discuss.

Farmers, under the banner of the SKM (Non-Political) and KMM, have been camping at the Shambhu and Khanauri border points since February 13 last year. The farmers pitched their tents there after security forces refused to allow them to march to Delhi to press for their various demands, including a legal guarantee of minimum support price (MSP) for crops.

Farmer leader Dallewal, the convener of the SKM (Non-Political), has been on an indefinite hunger strike at the Khanauri border point since November 26 last year.

Farmers earlier said Dallewal’s condition is “critical”. Dallewal has lost about 20kg and has refused any medical aid during his fasting, they said.

On Saturday, 10 more farmers began a fast-unto-death at the Khanauri border point. The number of fasting farmers has now increased to 121. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Chandigarh:

Farmers blocked roads at many places across the state on Monday as part of their Punjab bandh call, hamstringing the commuter traffic.

A call for a shutdown was given last week by Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha over the Centre not accepting the demands of protesting farmers.

The bandh will be observed from 7 am to 4 pm. Farmers observed a sit-in at Dhareri Jattan Toll Plaza which affected vehicular movement on the Patiala-Chandigarh National Highway.

At Amritsar’s Golden Gate, farmers started to assemble near the city’s entry point while in Bathinda’s Rampura Phul, they blocked roads.

Farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher on Sunday said though there will be a complete bandh, emergency services will be allowed to operate.

“The bandh will be observed from 7 am to 4 pm. However, emergency services will remain operational. Anyone travelling to the airport to catch a flight or anyone going to attend a job interview, or anyone needs to attend a wedding… all these things have been kept out of our bandh call,” he said.

Meanwhile, 70-year-old farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal’s hunger strike entered its 35th day on Monday.

Mr Dallewal has so far refused medical treatment.

Hundreds of farmers have been protesting at the Punjab-Haryana border demanding a legal guarantee of a minimum support price (MSP) for crops.

Mr Dallewal had earlier said he would not break his fast until the government agreed to the farmers’ demands.

The top court has given the Punjab government time till December 31 to persuade Mr Dallewal to shift to a hospital, granting the state the liberty to seek logistical support from the Centre, if necessary.

Farmers, under the banner of SKM (Non-Political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha, have been camping at the Shambhu and Khanauri border points between Punjab and Haryana since February 13, after their march to Delhi was stopped by security forces.

A “jatha” (group) of 101 farmers attempted to march to Delhi on foot three times between December 6 and 14 but were stopped by security personnel from Haryana.

Besides the MSP, farmers are also demanding a debt waiver, pension, no hike in electricity tariffs, withdrawal of police cases, and “justice” for the victims of the 2021 Lakhimpur Kheri violence. 

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

Chandigarh:

Farmers blocked train routes at several places in Punjab on Wednesday as part of their three-hour ‘Rail Roko’ protest to press the Centre into accepting their various demands, including a legally binding minimum support price for crops.

The call for the ‘rail roko’ has been given by the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha.

Kisan Mazdoor Morcha leader Sarwan Singh Pandher said farmers have been squatting on rail tracks at many places from 12 noon and will continue to be there till 3 pm.

The places where the protest was supposed to be held included Moga, Faridkot, Kadian and Batala in Gurdaspur; Phillaur in Jalandhar; Tanda, Dasuya, Mahilpur in Hoshiarpur; Makhu, Talwandi Bhai in Ferozepur; Sahnewal in Ludhiana; Shambhu in Patiala; Mohali, and Sunam and Lehra in Sangrur.

Farmers under the banner of Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha have been camping at Shambhu and Khanauri border points between Punjab and Haryana since February 13 after their march to Delhi was stopped by security forces.

For the past three weeks, Punjab farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal has been on a fast-unto-death at the Khanauri border point between Punjab and Haryana to press the Centre to accept the agitating farmers’ demands, including a legal guarantee of MSP on crops.

A “jatha” (group) of 101 farmers made three attempts to enter Delhi on foot on December 6, December 8 and again on December 14. Haryana security personnel did not allow them to proceed.

Besides a legal guarantee on MSP for crops, the farmers are demanding a debt waiver, pension for farmers and farm labourers, no hike in the electricity tariff, withdrawal of police cases and “justice” for the victims of the 2021 Lakhimpur Kheri violence.

Reinstatement of the Land Acquisition Act, 2013, and compensation to the families of the farmers who died during a previous agitation in 2020-21 are also part of their demands. 

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

Protesting farmers will start marching towards Delhi to press their various demands to the central government today. The announcement has prompted the police to increase security at the Punjab and Haryana borders.

The Kisan Mazdoor Morcha and the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political), the two umbrella bodies that are leading the farmers’ protests, on March 3 gave a call to farmers from across the country to reach the national capital today.

They also called for a four-hour countrywide “rail roko” next week in support of their various demands, which include that the Centre should give a legal guarantee of the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for the crops.

The protesting farmers have been staying put at the Shambhu and the Khanauri border points between Punjab and Haryana after their “Delhi Chalo” march was stopped by security personnel on February 13.

While the farmers from Punjab and Haryana will continue the agitation at Shambhu and Khanauri border points, the farmers and farm labourers from other states have been asked to reach Delhi today.

Farmers’ ‘Rail Roko’ Protest

To intensify the agitation, farmer leaders have also called upon the farmers and labourers across the country for the ‘rail roko’ protest on March 10.

They have announced a countrywide ‘rail roko’ protest from 12 pm to 4 pm.

Farmers’ body Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM), which spearheaded the 2020-21 agitation, has also announced a ‘Kisan Mahapanchayat’ in Delhi on March 14.

The SKM said that over 400 farmers’ outfits will participate in the ‘Kisan Mahapanchayat’ to press the Centre to accept their demands.

Delhi Police Step Up Vigil

The Delhi Police has directed its personnel to ensure strict vigil at the Tikri, Singhu and Ghazipur borders in view of the farmers’ protest.

Additional police and paramilitary forces have also been deployed at railway and metro stations and bus stands.

The police said checking will be intensified at various locations and that there may be traffic congestion in the capital.