Day after rejecting proposal, farmers ask Centre to accept their demands

Farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher on Tuesday sought that the Centre accept their demands, including a legal guarantee on the minimum support price (MSP) for crops and farm loan waiver, and said they will head to Delhi on Wednesday. On Monday evening, SKM (Non-Political) leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal had said, "After holding discussions on two of our forums, it has been decided that the Centre's proposal is not in the interest of farmers and we reject it.

Asked if their call for a march to Delhi still stands, Pandher had said, "We will move to Delhi peacefully at 11 am on February 21.The protesting farmers have been staying put at the Shambhu and Khanauri border points between Punjab and Haryana, after their "Delhi Chalo" march to press the BJP-led Centre for various demands, including a legal guarantee on the MSP for crops, was stopped by security forces. The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha are spearheading the "Delhi Chalo" march.

Talking to reporters at the Shambhu border point between Punjab and Haryana on Tuesday, Pandher, who represents the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha, said the farmers have three big demands -- a legal guarantee on the MSP for all crops, the implementation of the "C2 plus 50 per cent" formula as recommended by the Swaminathan Commission and loan waiver.

Replying to a question, Pandher said at the meeting with the Union ministers, the farmers proposed that a law on the MSP be enacted by convening a special session of Parliament.

On the issue of loan waiver, he said according to government reports, farmers have a total debt to the tune of Rs 18.5 trillion.