Punjab government invites SKM for talks before protests

The Punjab government has invited the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) for talks on Friday, March 21. The meeting will take place at 4 PM at Punjab Bhawan and will include agriculture minister Gurmeet Singh Khudian. This invitation comes just days before the SKM plans to march to the Punjab Vidhan Sabha on March 26. SKM leaders received a letter from the agriculture department about the meeting. The Bharti Kisan Union (Ugrahan) has also been invited. Although the SKM and BKU (Ugrahan) are not leading the current protests at the Shambhu and Khanauri border points, they are actively involved in the upcoming demonstration. Previous talks between the Punjab government and SKM leaders broke down on March 3. Following that meeting, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann criticized the farmer unions, claiming they turned Punjab into a “dharna state.” Recently, the SKM announced plans to gather at Sector-34 in Chandigarh and then march to the state assembly. The Punjab Police had earlier blocked farmers from reaching Chandigarh during a planned protest. Many farmer leaders were detained during these events, which led to strong condemnation from SKM. Starting Friday, the SKM will hold two days of protests against the state government. They demand an end to police actions against farmers and the release of detained leaders. The SKM also plans to gherao the Punjab Assembly on March 26 when the budget will be presented.