Kurukshetra deputy commissioner Shantanu Sharma confirmed that the farmers had been given assurances of a fair price for their sunflower crop.
The farmers had been blocking National Highway-44 near Pipli, a crucial route connecting Delhi and Chandigarh, as well as some other roads since Monday afternoon following a mahapanchayat (large gathering) on the matter.
“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.
Farmer leader Karam Singh Mathana said, “The major issue of MSP is still not solved but our meeting with the government was successful. Today, the government has agreed to fulfil our demand”.
Several farmer unions from Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, and Uttar Pradesh, including those associated with Sanyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM), blocked the National Highway (NH-44) at about 2.30pm on Monday after talks with the Haryana government remained in-conclusive. The NH-44 is the major north–south national highway in India that also includes the Delhi-Kurukshetra-Amritsar route.
The blockade was announced after the farmers held a mahapanchayat under the banner of ‘MSP Dilao Kisan Bachao Andolan’ at the grain market in Pipli town of Kurukshetra district, seeking minimum support price (MSP) on sunflower seed and the release of Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) Charuni national president Gurnam Singh Charuni and eight others who were arrested on June 6 from Shahabad after the farmers’ blockade.
(With inputs from agencies)
