CHANDIGARH: Khanauri Farmer outfits protesting on the Haryana-Punjab border announced the suspension of their agitation on Wednesday after Haryana officials offered them a meeting with Union Minister Manohar Lal on September 4 to discuss their demands.The development followed a meeting between representatives of the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political), which is leading the protest, and Haryana government officials.The farmers had been camping at the Khanauri-Data Singh Wala border after Haryana Police stopped a group of 51 farmers from proceeding to Delhi as part of their 228-km “Kisan Bachao Padyatra” on August 16.The march was planned to protest the proposed India-US trade deal and demand a legal guarantee for procurement of crops at minimum support price (MSP).During Wednesday’s meeting, Haryana officials proposed a meeting between a delegation of farmers and Union Power Minister and former Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal in Delhi.SKM (Non-Political) leader Abhimanyu Kohar later told reporters that Manohar Lal would meet the farmers’ delegation on September 4 and discuss their issues.He also said efforts were underway to arrange a meeting with Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan.Following the assurance, farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal announced the suspension of the protest.Haryana Police also began removing the multi-layer barricading erected to prevent protesters from Punjab from entering the state.The SKM (Non-Political) had called for the “Kisan Bachao Padyatra” from Data Singh Wala village on the Haryana-Punjab border to Jantar Mantar in Delhi, where a farmers’ panchayat was scheduled for August 29.A total of 51 farmers from different parts of the country were to take part in the march, along with SKM (Non-Political) volunteers and supporters.Earlier on Sunday, three rounds of talks between the protesting farmers and Haryana officials had remained inconclusive.Dallewal had rejected an offer from Haryana officials to meet chief minister Nayab Singh Saini and insisted on an appointment with the Union agriculture minister to discuss the proposed India-US trade deal.The farmers’ key demands include keeping agriculture, dairy, poultry, fisheries and other allied sectors outside the proposed India-US trade agreement and enacting a law guaranteeing procurement of all crops at MSP based on the Swaminathan Commission’s C2+50% formula.They are also demanding measures to free farmers from debt, an increase in the fair and remunerative price (FRP) of sugarcane, implementation of written assurances given by the Centre during talks with farmer organisations, and withdrawal of cases registered in connection with farmers’ movements.Last year, police had evicted farmers from the Shambhu and Khanauri border points, which they had blocked for more than a year.The protesting farmers, led by the SKM (Non-Political) and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha, had camped at the Shambhu (Shambhu-Ambala) and Khanauri (Sangrur-Jind) border points between Punjab and Haryana for more than a year, pressing various demands, particularly a law guaranteeing MSP for crops.(With PTI inputs)
