In a significant development amid ongoing farmer protests, leaders have opted to halt the Delhi Chalo march temporarily to evaluate a new Minimum Support Price or MSP plan put forth by the Central Government. Following a fourth round of discussions in Chandigarh on Sunday, Agriculture Minister Arjun Munda, Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal, and Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai presented the proposal, prompting farmer representatives to defer their march for two days.
The proposed plan entails government agencies procuring pulses, maize, and cotton crops at MSP rates for a duration of five years, under agreements with farmers. Cooperative societies such as the National Cooperative Consumers Federation-NCCF and the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India-NAFED would engage in contractual arrangements with farmers cultivating crops like ‘tur dal’, ‘urad dal’, ‘masoor dal’, or maize.
Goyal emphasised there would be no limit on the quantity of crops purchased, with the introduction of a dedicated portal to streamline the process.
In response, farmer leaders have committed to deliberating the government’s proposition within their forums over the next couple of days. Prominent farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher stated, “We will discuss in our forums on February 19-20 and take the opinion of experts regarding it and accordingly take a decision.”
The fate of the ‘Delhi Chalo’ march hinges on the resolution of pending demands, including loan waivers and other grievances. Pandher outlined that if satisfactory outcomes are not reached by February 21, the march will resume at 11 am. However, he expressed optimism about achieving a mutually agreeable resolution through continued dialogue with the government.
The ongoing discussions follow many inconclusive meetings between union ministers and farmer representatives on February 8, 12, and 15. Since February 13, farmers from Punjab have maintained protest encampments at border points with Haryana, following the disruption of their march to Delhi.
The demands put forth by the protesting farmers encompass a wide range of issues, including the legal safeguarding of MSP, implementation of the Swaminathan Commission’s recommendations, and justice for victims of past violence incidents. The pause in the ‘Delhi Chalo’ march underscores the complexity of the negotiations and the quest for a comprehensive resolution to address farmers’ concerns.
