Farmers and opposition parties have been protesting the centre's farm laws since September 2020 (File)
Farmers protesting for more than 15 months on issues from the (now-scrapped) farm laws to a legal guarantee for MSP, are on the brink of standing down. Sources said the centre has said it is willing to offer a written assurance on their demands.
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A lengthy meeting of farmer leaders from the Samyukt Kisan Morcha was held Tuesday evening at Singhu on the Delhi border. The meet - to consider the centre's offer - concluded without an agreement on how to proceed, and will resume at 2 pm tomorrow.
Sources said the centre was open to giving farmers written assurances on demands that include a legal guarantee for MSP and the dropping of all police cases against them, including those on stubble burning.
Sources said the centre, as part of its offer, would form a committee to decide the MSP issue. The committee will consist of government officials, agriculture experts and representatives from the Samyukt Kisan Morcha, the umbrella body of farmer unions that has led this protest.
Sources also said the centre had agreed to drop all police cases against farmers - this includes stubble burning complaints and those filed by Haryana and Uttar Pradesh in connection with violent clashes with security forces over the past several months
Should the farmers, as is widely expected, accept the centre's offer, it will mean the end of a mass movement that made headlines in India and around the world for the mobilisation of tens of thousands of farmers, violent clashes with police, and furious rows in Parliament.
It is understood that while the farmers are happy with the centre's offer, there is one sticking point - the centre wants the farmers to stand down before police cases are dropped.
The question of compensation - a point raised by Rahul Gandhi when he accused the centre of lying - was also discussed. The farmers referred to the Rs 5 lakh offered by Punjab, to which the centre said UP and Haryana had, in principle, agreed to similar measures.
Last week farmers said Home Minister Amit Shah spoke to them (via a phone call) to discuss outstanding issues; this was after their protests forced the recall of the farm laws.
The farmers constituted a five-member panel to hold talks - talks that were to include their demand to legalise MSP and withdraw police cases against the protesters.
The centre was given a 'deadline', which expired today. "... if a compromise is found, then there is a possibility of farmers going back," Yudhvir Singh, a union leader told NDTV.
