Unions reject offer to put farm laws on hold

NEW DELHI: Farm unions protesting three new agricultural laws have rejected the Union government’s offer to put the legislation in abeyance for at least one-and-a-half years — a decision that has deepened the crisis just when it appeared that a 56-day-long agitation by tens of thousands of farmers on the Capital’s borders could finally be resolved.

In the 10th round of negotiations with a 41-member delegation representing farm unions on Wednesday, the Union government offered to suspend the three pieces of legislation in its most far-reaching proposal yet.

But the farmers, instead of agreeing to meet the government midway, hardened their already rigid position on Thursday, saying they will not budge from their demand for a complete repeal of the laws.

After several rounds of internal discussions over the government offer, the Samyukta Kisan Morcha, the platform of farm unions leading the agitation, said on Thursday evening that the farmers had unanimously rejected the proposal.

“The proposal to suspend the laws is not acceptable because our demand is a repeal of the laws,” said Darshan Pal, a senior leader of the agitation.

A statement put out by the unions said a full general body meeting of the Samyukt Kisan Morcha was held on Thursday. “The proposal put forth by the government yesterday, was

rejected. A full repeal of three central farm acts and enacting a legislation for remunerative MSP [minimum support price] for all farmers were reiterated as the pending demands of the movement,” the statement said.

In Wednesday’s talks, the government said that it would move an affidavit before the Supreme Court stating it’s decision to put the laws in abeyance till a solution to farmers’ demands was found. To discuss the issues raised by farmers, which includes a law guaranteeing assured prices for their produce, the government had also told farm unions that it proposed

to set up a committee of representatives as well as experts who should be nominated both by farm unions and the government to examine “all agitation-related issues”.

The move was hailed by experts as a step back by the government, and they expected farmers to reciprocate. The farm unions, too, said they would discuss the government’s fresh offer, sparking hopes of a resolution.

But Thursday’s inflexible position by the farmers now leaves few options to resolve the crisis. Rakesh Tikait, the leader of BKU (Tikait faction) said the

full general body of the farm unions felt that accepting the government’s proposal would defeat the purpose of the agitation.

Joginder Singh Ugrahan, another senior farm leader, said the government’s proposal would “divert and delay” the farmers’ demands.

The government has pushed a set of agricultural laws to ease restrictions in farm trade, allow traders to stockpile large quantities of food stocks for future sales and lay down a national framework for contract farming based on written agreements.