The Centre will hold a meeting with Punjab’s protesting farmers on February 14 in Chandigarh to discuss their demands, a senior official of the Union government said on Saturday evening.
The breakthrough came after a delegation of officials from the Union agriculture ministry, led by joint secretary Priya Ranjan, met fasting farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal and held a meeting with the representatives of Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha.
Following the announcement, Dallewal, whose fast-unto-death entered 54th day on Saturday, agreed to take medical aid so that he can participate in the proposed meeting, said people in know of the matter.
This was the first time that any representative from the Centre has met the protesting farmers with a proposal after talks with the Union ministers had failed in February last year. Four rounds of meetings had taken place between the Central ministers and protesting farmers on February 8, 12, 15 and 18 last year, but talks had remained inconclusive.
Speaking to reporters at the Khanauri protest site, Ranjan said a high-level delegation was sent by the Centre keeping in mind the deteriorating health of Dallewal.
{{/usCountry}}Speaking to reporters at the Khanauri protest site, Ranjan said a high-level delegation was sent by the Centre keeping in mind the deteriorating health of Dallewal.
{{/usCountry}}“In the continuation of previous talks, which were held in February last year, we have invited protesting farmer unions, SKM (non-political) and KMM, for talks with Union ministers and Punjab government ministers on February 14 at 5pm in Mahatma Gandhi State Institute of Public Administration, Chandigarh. As to the health of fasting leader Dallewal, the Union government is hopeful that he will end his fast-unto death, and participate in the meeting,” said Ranjan.
Ranjan was accompanied by two retired senior Punjab police officers, Jaskaran Singh and Narinder Bhargav. The police officers have all along been serving as interlocutors between protesting farmers and the Punjab government.
Farmer leader Kaka Singh Kotra, after accepting the proposal of meeting, said, “I am hopeful that our fasting leader Dallewal will represent us at the February 14 meeting.”
Farmers, under the banner of the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha, have been camping at the Shambhu and Khanauri border points since February 13 last year. The farmers pitched their tents there after security forces refused to allow them to march to Delhi to press for their various demands, including a legal MSP guarantee for their crops.
Farmers earlier said Dallewal’s condition, whose fast reached 54th day on Saturday, is “critical”.
Dallewal has lost about 20kg and has refused any medical aid during his fasting, they said.