Citingthe heightened cross-border threat and increased drone and other terroristactivities by ISI-backed groups, including plans by Khalistani oufits to targetcertain Kisan leaders, Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh has urgedPrime Minister Narendra Modi to immediately resume dialogue with the agitatingfarmers and make concerted efforts to resolve their issues.
TheChief Minister has proposed to lead an all-party delegation from Punjab fordiscussion with the Prime Minister to find a durable and amicable solution tothe vexed problem of the prolonged farmer agitation, which is threatening thesocial fabric of the state and impacting the economic activities as well.
Ina letter to the Prime Minister, Captain Amarinder warned that the powers acrossthe border “may try to play upon the charged emotions of our proud, sincere,and hard-working farmers” of Punjab, which has a long and live internationalborder.
“Thesituation is presently under control but I fear that provocative statements andconduct of some political parties and the emotional backlash might create lawand order problems and also lead to irreversible damage to the hard-earnedpeace in the State,” said the Chief Minister, underscoring the need for theGovernment of India to address the genuine concerns of the farmers.
TheChief Minister’s letter comes amid rising resentment in Punjab on account ofthe Farm Laws, which he said he had asked to be reviewed even in his earlier DOletters of June and December 2020. It comes in the backdrop of increase indrone activity along the villages falling with 5-6 kms of Indo-Pak border inPunjab, with consignments of weapons and heroin being delivered into India byPakistan. Intelligence reports also suggest that with the Assembly elections inPunjab just a few months away, ISI-led Khalistani and Kashmiri terror outfitsare planning terrorist actions in the state in the near future.
Inhis letter, the Chief Minister pointed out that the farmers have been agitatingfor the past seven months on Delhi-Haryana borders, and also in the State,demanding repeal of these laws and their protests have been more or lesspeaceful so far. “It is a little unfortunate that the multiple rounds ofengagement between the Union Ministers and representatives of farmers' groupshave not proved successful,” he said.
Besidesthe threat to the state’s socio-economic fabric due to the unrest caused by theFarm Laws, the day-to-day politicalactivities in line with people's democratic rights are also adversely affecteddue to the agitation, though the State Government has tried its best tomaintain law and order, said the Chief Minister.
Highlightingsome other issues and concerns of farmers which warranted immediate attention,Captain Amarinder Singh referred to his demi-official letter written to Modi onSeptember 28, 2020 through which he sought to compensate the farmers for theadditional cost of managing crop residues at the rate of Rs.100 per quintal ofpaddy, apart from Minimum Support Price as residue burning always remains ano-cost option for them.
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Notingthat this is extremely important to prevent stubble burning in view ofanticipated third wave of COVID-19, and its adverse impact on the health ofpeople especially in this region of the country, the Chief Minister said thesefarmers also needed to be categorically reassured about their concernsregarding the provisioning of MSP and continued public procurement of wheat andpaddy. Further, their immediate fears about the hike in prices of fertilizersespecially phosphatic fertilizers after October 31, 2021 also required to beaddressed, as nearly 60% of DAP consumed in the State would be during Novemberand December for the sowing of wheat, the letter reads.