Kurukshetra: Farmers blocked the National Highway at Pipli in Haryana’s Kurukshetra district for the second consecutive day on Tuesday, demanding minimum support price (MSP) for sunflower seeds. At the same time, Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Rakesh TIkait said that the state government should either accept the demand or send the farmers to jail.
Farmer leaders present at the protest site said that several rounds of talks have been held with the district administration since Monday, but no result has been found so far. The protesting farmers have blocked the highway (NH-44) near Pipli since Monday afternoon after holding a maha panchayat on the issue. This highway connects Delhi to Chandigarh and some other routes. Rakesh Tikait said that he had two meetings with the district administration on Monday night but did not yield any results.
Officials said that there will be another round of talks between the administration and the farmers on Tuesday. As the standoff continued, some farmers put up tents on the highway to save themselves from the scorching heat. Tikait told reporters on Tuesday afternoon, “The farmers will not end their protest, they will not leave here like this. The government should either fulfill their demand or send them to jail.&8221; Earlier, he had said that a local committee of farmers formed on Monday and leaders of the United Kisan Morcha (SKM) would hold a meeting on Tuesday to decide their future course of action.
Tikait said that the issue of MSP for sunflower seeds is affecting not only the farmers of Haryana but the entire farming community “as we are demanding an MSP law for all crops, which was promised by the central government then.” Was done when we had withdrawn the farmer’s movement against the now repealed agricultural laws.” Apart from MSP for sunflower seeds, the farmers are also demanding the release of nine farmer leaders who were arrested during the recent protest in Shahabad.
Kurukshetra Superintendent of Police SS Bhoria told PTI that the district administration is trying to persuade the farmers to end the blockade and they are hopeful that a solution will be found. He said the police have registered a fresh case against the protesters for blocking the national highway. He said that prohibitory orders were imposed under section 144 within a two-kilometer radius of Anaj Mandi Pipli, where farmers held their maha panchayat and violated the prohibitory orders.
The “MSP Dilao, Kisan Bachao Mahapanchayat” was convened by the Bharatiya Kisan Union (Chadhuni)&8221; It was organized at a grain market in Pipli near National Highway-44. After the maha panchayat, the farmers gathered on the highway and blocked it. The district administration and the police are trying to persuade the protesting farmers to lift the blockade as it is causing inconvenience to pedestrians. The maha panchayat held in Pipli was attended by leaders of various khaps, Bhakiyu leader Rakesh Tikait besides Olympic medalist wrestler Bajrang Punia, who is among the wrestlers demanding action against outgoing Wrestling Federation of India chief Brijbhushan Sharan Singh for alleged sexual harassment. Are included.
Tikait also sat with the protesting farmers on the national highway. Farmers from Haryana, Punjab, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, and Rajasthan also participated in this Mahapanchayat. Kurukshetra Deputy Commissioner (DC) Shantanu Sharma said on Monday night that farmers have encroached on both sides of the highway. He had said, “We have been requesting them to start talks, but they want their demands to be met first.
On June 6, farmers led by Bharatiya Kisan Union (Chadhuni) chief Gurnam Singh Chadhuni blocked the national highway near Shahabad, demanding that the government buy sunflower seeds at the minimum support price (MSP). The police resorted to lathi-charge as well as using water cannons to disperse the protesters. Later, nine of its leaders including the president of Bhakiyu (Chadhuni) were arrested on various charges including rioting and unlawful assembly. Tikait, who attended the Mahapanchayat on Monday, said the government should procure sunflowers at MSP and release the farmer leaders arrested in Shahabad.
Addressing the Mahapanchayat, Tikait announced that “if a law is not brought for MSP as promised by the central government, the United Kisan Morcha will launch an all-India agitation”.&8221; It may be noted that Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Saturday released Rs 29.13 crore as interim compensation to 8,528 farmers for sunflower crops grown on 36,414 acres. The farmers are demanding that the state government buy sunflowers at the minimum support price of Rs 6,400 per quintal. Under the Bhavantar Bharpayee scheme, the state government is giving Rs 1,000 per quintal as interim support for sunflower crops sold below the MSP.
