Farmers write to PM, want stalled talks to resume

NEW DELHI: Almost four months after talks between the government and protesting farm groups broke down, the Samyukt Kisan Morcha, a platform of farm unions, wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday, asking the Union government to resume dialogue to end the agitation, but remained steadfast on their demand to scrap the agri legislations.

Farmers have been protesting at five sites in large camps near Delhi’s borders and at Shahjahanpur on the Rajasthan-haryana border, demanding the rollback of three laws passed in September last year to lift restrictions on trade in farm produce.

The protests have sparked concerns of a potential spread of Covid-19, but the farmers have refused to give up the agitation, citing it as a matter of livelihood.

“Mr Prime Minister, this letter is to remind you that, as the head of the government of the largest democracy in the world, the onus of resuming a serious and sincere dialogue with the farmers lies with you,” the letter signed by major farm leaders states.

So far, 11 rounds of talks between 40 farm leaders and the government have failed to resolve the crisis. Both the government and farmers called off the series of discussions on January 22, citing lack of progress.

“The government is always ready to talk to farmers. The prime minister and the agriculture minister have said this in Parliament and outside,” said an agriculture ministry official, requesting anonymity.