Farmers insist on guaranteed MSP for 26 crops, call for intensifying stir

With the talks between the government and farmers remaining inconclusive, Haryana farmer leaders have made it clear that they will continue with the protests till the three contentious farm laws are revoked and a law to guarantee MSP for the 26 crops named by the farmers.

Bhartiya Kisan Union (Charuni) has also urged the farmers of Haryana to increase their strength at Delhi borders and to also port their mobile phone sim cards from Jio to other networks.

He said that now there is no further meeting scheduled with the government and the farmers were waiting for the government to accept the demands raised by them in meetings.

“All the farmer union leaders have rejected government’s offer for amendments in the laws and we now want the government to withdraw these laws and also enact a law to ensure the guarantee of procurement for all 26 crops on minimum support price,” Haryana BKU president Gurnam Singh Charuni told Hindustan Times.

Charuni is the only farmer leader from Haryana to be among farmer leaders who held talks with the government on farmers’ behalf.

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He said that during the meetings with the Union government, they have already made it clear that the agitation will continue till the government withdraws the “anti-farmer” laws.

“We have now decided that all farmers will port their (Jio) mobile phone numbers to other service providers and on December 12, all toll plazas will be made free for passage for one day, and on December 14, the agitation will be intensified by holding protests at all district headquarters,” he added.

Meanwhile, the number of farmers at Delhi’s Singhu and Tikri borders is likely to increase in days to come as more farmers are leaving for Delhi to join the protests.

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Farmers’ march to Delhi gathered pace on Wednesday after it was known that the farmer leaders have rejected the government’s offer of amendments in the agriculture laws.

“Now the message has reached every farmer and they are angry over the government’s behaviour,” said, Rakesh Bains, spokesperson of BKU (Charuni).

He added that the call given to farmers to march to Delhi to join the protests has got a good response.

He said that the strength of farmers is likely to increase in the next two-three days.