The farmer protests in Punjab and Haryana have seen negotiations between farmers and the Modi government. The fourth round of talks concluded on Sunday.
The government has proposed that state agencies would buy three pulse crops, maize, and cotton at Minimum Support Price for five years after entering into a legal contract with farmers. The NDA government feels that the proposal is ideal for farmers, who have been demanding MSP for all crops.
Union commerce minister Piyush Goyal has been quoted by ANI as saying that the government-promoted cooperative societies like the National Cooperative Consumers’ Federation of India and the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India will form a contract and that there will be no limit on the quantity procured by the government.
The Modi government has been challenged by the resolve of the rich farmer lobbies in Punjab and Haryana. The MSP demand has no economic logic and rationale. Yet, the threat of violence and the ability of farmers to use sentimental language to create an anti-government sentiment among the public has spooked PM Modi.
