Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan is set to meet with farmers again this Wednesday in Chandigarh. This gathering is part of the Indian government's initiative to tackle the long-standing demands of farmers, including a legal assurance for the minimum support price (MSP) on their crops. The last meeting took place on February 22 and was the second round of talks.
It was a friendly discussion, with Chouhan heading a three-member Central team that included two other ministers: Piyush Goyal (Commerce and Industry) and Pralhad Joshi (Consumer Affairs).
They were accompanied by three ministers from the Punjab government and 28 farmer representatives led by Jagjit Singh Dallewal.
In the previous meeting, Minister Chouhan reassured the farmers of the government's dedication to their welfare and mentioned that policy changes are being made to tackle their issues. The Farmers restated what they wanted and promised to give the government the information and reports it asked for. The government agreed to look over these materials to prepare for future talks.
The Punjab representatives were Finance Minister Harpal Cheema, Agriculture Minister Gurmeet Singh Khudian, and Food and Supplies Minister Lal Chand Kataruchak. Farmers' groups, Samyukt Kisan Morcha and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha, began protesting on February 13 at the Shambhu and Khanauri border crossings between Punjab and Haryana.
They set up camps there after being prevented from marching to Delhi. On February 14, they met with a Central government team led by Union Minister Pralhad Joshi.
These discussions show the government is committed to resolving farmers' issues by talking to them directly.
