Farmers-Centre 4th round of talks tomorrow, SKM to intensify protest if demands remain unmet | 10 points

Tens of thousands of farmers pressing for guaranteed crop prices and debt relief camped en route to the national capital Delhi, will be meeting with government officials on 18 February for the fourth round of talks.

Talks on Thursday night with the government didn’t end the dispute but farmer leaders speaking after the meeting said both sides had agreed to continue peacefully as they work toward a solution to the farmers’ demands.

Farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal said, "The agitation will continue and it will do so peacefully. There will be no provocation from our side or the government".

Farmers protests to continue as tension mounts at Punjab-Haryana border

On Friday, more farm groups and trade unions began a one-day national strike Friday in solidarity with the group’s demands.

Here are 10 updates on farmers protest:

• Union Agriculture Minister Arjun Munda on Friday said that efforts to find a solution continue and the next round of talks with farmers will take place on Sunday. "The decision cannot be taken in such a way that people criticize the situation without thinking and understanding in the coming days. Rather, we should try to keep in mind all the aspects of it and discuss it. The common life of the people should not be troubled in any way," he said.

The Politics, Economics & Impact Of MSP; What Is Swaminathan's MSP Formula

• The Samyukt Kisan Morcha has said it will intensify agitation in the coming days. The (Samyukt Kisan Morcha) SKM said its Punjab unit will hold a meeting on February 18 at Jalandhar, and it will be followed by the meetings of the NCC and and general body at New Delhi to take stock of developments and suggest the future course of action.
• Industry body PHDCCI on Friday said, "A lingering agitation will cause ₹500 crores economic loss daily and will have an impact on Q4 Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) of northern states majorly Punjab, Haryana and Delhi".

Bharat Bandh: Delhi incurs loss of ₹300 crore so far, says traders' body

• On Friday Haryana Police fired tear gas shells to disperse protesting farmers when they moved towards the barricades at the Shambhu border near Ambala. Haryana police asserted that "ruckus" cannot be allowed under the guise of the farmers' movement.
• According to Haryana Police, 25 security personnel -- 18 of Haryana Police and seven paramilitary force jawans -- were injured in these clashes.

What Are Protesting Farmers Demanding From The Government | Mint Explains

• Besides, a 52-year-old Haryana police sub-inspector posted at the Shambhu border has died. The SI experienced a sudden decline in his health conditions while he was on duty.
• Also, a 63-year-old farmer, who was among the protesters at the Shambhu border, died of a heart attack on Friday.

Farmers to postpone protest march to Delhi as talks with govt continue

• Farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher accused the Centre of trying to "suppress" the voices of the protesters, claiming social media accounts of farmers and YouTubers have been suspended.
• Farmers held demonstrations at several places and also blocked national highways on Friday. In Punjab and Haryana, bus services remained paralysed. Many farmer bodies, including Bharti Kisan Union (Rajewal), Bharatiya Kisan Union (Dakunda), Bharatiya Kisan Union (Lakhowal), Bharatiya Kisan Union (Qadian) and Kirti Kisan Union participated in the bandh.
• Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday said his party will accept long-pending demands of farmers in the country and ensure a legal guarantee to minimum support price (MSP) of crops if the INDIA bloc comes to power after the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
• Farmers are protesting as they say the government has failed to meet some of their key demands from the previous protests such as guaranteed crop prices, a doubling of farmers’ income, and loan waivers. The demand for legislation that will guarantee minimum prices is at the heart of their protests. Currently, the government protects agricultural producers against any sharp fall in farm prices by setting a minimum purchase price for certain essential crops, a system that was introduced in the 1960s to help shore up food reserves and prevent shortages. The farmers are demanding this be extended to all farm produce, and not just essential crops.
• The farmers' protest comes at a important time for India, where elections are expected to be held in a few months, which PM Narendra Modi is widely expected to sweep to victory and secure a third successive term. If the protests were to gain the same kind of momentum as last time, it could pose a new test for Modi and his government just before the general election.