CHANDIGARH: Talks between the Samyukta Kisan Morcha, which led the 2020-21 farmers' protest, and Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann ended inconclusively. Farmers claim CM Mann walked out in "anger," and the 'Chandigarh Chalo' march on March 5 will proceed as planned.
On the other hand, Mann stated that his doors are always open for talks with the farmers, but emphasized that inconvenience and harassment of the general public in the name of agitation should be avoided.
The two-hour meeting between Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and the leadership of the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) held at Punjab Bhawan remained inconclusive.
After the meeting, senior SKM leader and president of All India Kisan Federation Prem Singh Bhangu alleged, "CM Mann openly challenged the farmer leaders in the meeting after some leaders said that you (CM) have agreed for meeting after we announced Chandigarh Chalo March for March 5. He (Mann) said that he is not afraid of the farmers protest and do whatever you want. He also said that the points (demands) by the farmers which were agreed upon in the meeting are now all stand cancelled. ‘’
Bhangu claimed that during the meeting, it was agreed to form a committee to discuss legal issues related to land acquisition for the Bharat Mala project and Shamlat lands in villages. The committee would include farmers' leaders, the advocate general, and the chief secretary. "The other demand, which was agreed to, was to pre-pone the paddy transplantation from June 15 to June 1. But CM, while walking out of the meeting, said that now all demands agreed upon stand cancelled," he said.
Senior SKM leader Balbir Singh Rajewal said, " We had only listed eight of their 18 demands when the CM Mann intervened and left the meeting in anger, thus no conclusion could be reached.’’
Joginder Singh Ugrahan, a senior SKM leader and president of BKU Ekta Ugrahan, the state's largest farmer union, stated that Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann left the meeting after two hours, citing an eye infection. "He did not listen to our complete list of demands and walked away. The CM had only agreed to a couple of demands, while other issues remained unresolved," he said. Ugrahan reiterated that farmers would proceed with their planned protest in Chandigarh on March 5.
Interacting with the farmers, Mann stated that the government is always ready to address issues affecting various sections of society through negotiations. He urged farmers to avoid protests that disrupt daily life, stressing that rail and road blockages harm the common man rather than affecting the Union government.
He explained that such actions lead to problems for ordinary people, turning them against the agitators and creating discord in society. Mann emphasised that it is unfortunate that the common man suffers due to such protests, which he described as both unwarranted and undesirable.
Mann acknowledged that protest is a democratic right of the farmers but urged them to consider the significant loss it is causing to the state. He mentioned that traders and industrialists have expressed concerns about how frequent blockades have ruined their businesses. Mann made a heartfelt appeal to the farmers to avoid such tactics, which create discord within society.
The unions have not been allotted a location to protest in Chandigarh. A call for a week-long protest, starting on March 5, has been issued by 37 farmer unions from the state, part of the SKM’s Punjab Chapter, along with BKU Ugrahan, an associate member of SKM.
A farmer said that now rations are being collected from the villages, and flex sheets are being prepared to be pasted on trolleys which will be ready by tomorrow evening. "The villagers are also preparing the trolleys as we are ready to move towards Chandigarh at any time,’’ he said.