Punjab Government Appeals to Centre for Resolution of Farmers' Protest
The farmers’ blockade at the Punjab-Haryana border which has created major order disturbances, compelled the Punjab government to seek the Centre’s intervention in order to reach some conclusion regarding the ongoing farmers’ sit-in. Union minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan received a letter from Punjab’s Agriculture Minister Gurmeet Singh Khuddian where he raised the grave humanitarian issue of farmers suffering due to the ongoing Grid blockade and hunger strikes, one of the famous leaders being Jagjit Singh Dallewal who has been on the hunger strike since November 26. He also pointed to the farmers’ resolutions to the supreme court about the blockades and their willingness to resolve the cases.
But, the government of Punjab intends to mediate between the centre and the farmers who are in the Delhi border, in order to propose a legal bill or policy that will secure MSP and satisfactory prices for the farmers. Khuddian intends to meet with Chouhan on Saturday for these discussions and to discuss the Centre’s proposed National Policy Framework on agriculture marketing.
Abhimanyu Kohar, a farmer leader, said that as long as the Centre does not present anything definitive that meets farmers, they will continue their protests.