Farm unions hold meeting, to write to Centre seeking talks sans Punjab govt
SKM (non-political) and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM) on Saturday held a joint meeting at Kisan Bhawan in Chandigarh to discuss the next phase of their agitation.
During the meeting, farmer leaders decided that a fresh letter would be sent to the central government on Sunday seeking a meeting exclusively between the Centre and farmer organisations. They said that they don't want any representatives of the Punjab government to take part in the talks.
The farmer leaders said that they are open to dialogue and believe that meaningful conversations are the only way to resolve the ongoing issues. The decision to write again to the Centre comes in the wake of the May 1 letter from the Union Government, which cancelled the proposed May 4 meeting, following farmers' stand to boycott talks if Punjab government officials were involved.
Referring to the May 1 letter from the Centre, the leaders said that the government had justified Punjab's participation in the talks by citing the need to uphold the federal structure. However, farmer leaders rejected the rationale and accused the Centre of weakening the federal framework repeatedly in the past.
Also Read | Farm union leaders announce protests over Punjab Govt action: 'it's not badlav but badle di bhavana'
SKM (non-political) convenor Jagjit Singh Dallewal said that the Centre has repeatedly encroached upon the rights of the states, thereby weakening the federal structure. 'The three farm laws introduced in 2020 were an attack on the rights of state governments, but at that time, the Centre did not express any concern about the federal structure. So citing the protection of federalism as a reason for including Punjab government representatives in the proposed meeting is far from the ground reality,' he said.
KKM co-ordinator Sarwan Singh Pandher added that the attacks on the morchas at Shambhu and Khanauri border points by the Punjab government on March 19 have further deepened the trust deficit between the farmers and the Punjab governments, and it will be difficult to bridge the gap. 'We are not ready to make them sit in that meeting. We will write a fresh letter to the Union Agriculture Minister and wait for his response.'
Pandher added that they will hold a protest on May 6 in front of the Shambhu police station against the police misconduct towards farmer leader Balwant Singh Behramke and others, and for forcibly lifting their dharnas on March 19.
Another major point of concern raised during the meeting was the recent legal notices sent by Haryana Police to farmers involved in the agitation, including those linked to the Kheri Chaupata protest. Leaders from both fronts said that the matter was discussed and if the Haryana Police does not stop issuing such notices, they would be forced to launch a larger protest. They said that the Haryana government will be responsible for any consequences. Another joint review meeting is scheduled for May 25.
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