Farm Unions Second Round of Talks Ends in Deadlock

Ravi Singh

The second round of talks between key farm union leaders ended without finding any solution as there was no consensus on critical demands, such as a legal guarantee for Minimum Support Price (MSP), the implementation of the Swaminathan Commission’s recommendation, and debt waivers. The meeting in Patran on January 18 comes in the backdrop of continued attempts at unifying major farm unions towards finalizing a common minimum programme.

The representatives included Ekta Resolution, Sanyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM), SKM (Non-Political), and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM). Leaders of the SKM (Non-Political), with Jagjit Singh Dallewal at the helm, who has been on fast unto death for 54 days, did not attend the December 22 meeting. The health of Dallewal is a cause of concern as consolidation efforts of unity among farm unions are still ongoing.

After the meeting, Sarwan Singh Pandher, coordinator of the two forums, addressed the media. He said that there had been some progress toward “minimum unity” and repeated the goal of achieving “maximum unity” among farm unions. Given Dallewal’s poor health, Pandher asked the panel to advance the next meeting.

Prominent farm leaders like Joginder Singh Ugrahan, Balbir Singh Rajewal, Darshan Pal, and Sarwan Singh Pandher attended the three-hour meeting. However, health issues of key participants had to disrupt the discussions. Sukhjit Singh Hardo Jhande, who has been on a fast unto death for four days, had to leave the meeting due to illness, and Dallewal’s condition further necessitated the meeting’s adjournment.

The date of the next meeting will be decided after the general body meeting of SKM on January 24. Meanwhile, the Marjeevda Jatha has announced the resumption of their “Dilli Challo” protest from January 21. Though the talks ended in a stalemate, they highlighted the determination of farm unions to continue their demands and push for meaningful reforms.