Shillong, February 15: The Center and farmer leaders are preparing for another round of discussions amidst the ongoing ‘Delhi Chalo’ march, as thousands of farmers remain committed to advancing their protest.
As per India Today, Union Ministers Arjun Munda, Piyush Goyal, and Nityanand Rai are scheduled to engage with representatives of protesting farmer unions through video conferencing this evening.
Previous dialogues between the two parties proved unproductive, leading farmers to initiate their protest march on Tuesday, February 13. Senior Union Ministers, including Rajnath Singh and Arjun Munda, engaged in discussions on Wednesday to address the ongoing farmers’ protests and related issues. Details of the meeting are yet to be disclosed, but Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, a former agriculture minister, discussed various farmer concerns with Munda, the current overseer of the Agriculture Ministry, who has been involved in previous discussions with farmer groups.
In response to the situation, Harmeet Singh Kadian of Bharatiya Kisan Union (Kadian) and Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) Punjab Chapter have called for a nationwide strike on February 16, with additional protests planned at toll plazas across Punjab on February 15 from 11 AM to 2 PM.
Tensions rose at the Shambhu border between Punjab and Haryana, where security forces used tear gas to disperse farmers attempting to breach barricades. Some protesters retaliated by throwing stones, while a few farmers tried to down a police drone monitoring the protests by flying kites.