New Delhi: Having rejected Centre’s proposal to procure five crops on minimum support price (MSP) for five years based on a contract system, the agitating farmers will resume their ‘Delhi Chalo’ march toward the national capital on Wednesday.
“We appeal to the government that either resolve our issues or remove barricades and allow us to proceed to Delhi to protest peacefully,” farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher said while warning the BJP-led government that it will be responsible for “whatever happens now”.
The Kisan Mazdoor Morcha and the Sanyukt Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) — the two umbrella bodies of around 200 farmers’ and farm labourer unions — had given the call for the ‘Delhi Chalo’ march.
On Monday, the farmers unequivocally rejected the proposed buying of pulses, maize and cotton crops at minimum support prices (MSPs) after a five-year contract between through cooperatives and farmers, aiming to promote crop diversification. “If you analyse, there is nothing in the government’s proposal. Our government imports palm oil worth Rs 1.75 crore from outside which also causes illness to the general public. If this money is given to the farmers of the country to grow oil seed crops and MSP is announced, then that money can be used here. This is not in the favour of farmers. We reject it,” he said.
He added that the government gave them a proposal so that they backtrack from their original demands.
Jagjit Singh Dallewal, a leader of SKM (Non-Political) that is spearheading the ‘Delhi Chalo’ march, emphasised that the government should devise a comprehensive formula for MSP covering all 23 crops. “After holding discussion in our two forums, it has been decided that the Centre’s proposal is not in the interest of farmers and we reject this proposal.”
Samyukt Kisan Morcha, which spearheaded the 2020-21 stir, also rejected the government proposal, saying it seeks to “divert and dilute” the farmers’ demand for MSP. It added that nothing less than the ‘C-2 plus 50 per cent’ formula for MSP as recommended in the Swaminathan Commission report will be acceptable.
Meanwhile, the Haryana government has extended the ban on mobile internet and bulk SMS services in seven districts – Ambala, Kurukshetra, Kaithal, Jind, Hisar, Fatehabad, and Sirsa – until February 20.
