Farmers End Protests In Kurukshetra; Blocked Roads To Be Opened

The farmers in Haryana's Kurukshetra have ended their protest and started celebrations after the Haryana government agreed to fulfil their demands on Tuesday.

They were protesting over their demand for Minimum Support Price (MSP) on sunflower seeds. On Monday and during the day on Tuesday, there had not been any headway in talks between the farmers and district administration, but the breakthrough finally came in the evening.

"We are ending our protest. The blocked roads will be opened today. We were protesting so that our crops are purchased at MSP. We will keep fighting for MSP across the country. Our leaders will also be released soon. Cases filed against our leaders will be taken back," farmer leader Rakesh Tikait told ANI.

Tikait said that the local committee of farmers which was holding talks with the government reached an agreement in the evening as per which the government has agreed on their MSP demand and also agreed to release the farmers arrested recently during Shahabad protest by following the process of law.

"Our agitation here was that procurement should be at the MSP. We had sought the rate which was fixed by the Centre," he said. "In every state, the MSP rate will have to be given. A bigger agitation will be needed in the country on legal guarantee of MSP. A beginning has been made here," Tikait said.

The protesting farmers have been assured of the appropriate price for sunflower crop, Kurukshetra's Deputy Commissioner Shantanu Sharma said. "Either by increasing (crop) rate or 'bhavantar' rate, it is the Haryana government's decision to ensure right price of the crop and we will do this," he said. The DC also said Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar had promised setting up of a unit for processing 20,000 metric tonnes for sunflower in Shahabad and it will soon be fulfilled.

The farmers had blocked the National Highway-44 near Pipli, which connects Delhi with Chandigarh, and some other routes since Monday afternoon after holding a mahapanchayat on the issue.

The farmers had been demanding that the state government procure sunflower seeds at an MSP of Rs 6,400 per quintal. Under the Bhavantar Bharpai Yojana -- price difference payment scheme -- the state government was giving Rs 1,000 per quintal as interim support for sunflower crop sold below MSP.