The Asian Age

Farmer convention to focus on widening stir nationwide

- AGE CORRESPOND­ENT

The national convention by farmers to mark completion of nine months of their agitation against the three contentiou­s farm laws began at the Singhu border on Thursday.

The two-day-event that will see participat­ion from 1,500 delegates across organisati­ons of farmers, women, youth, and labourers, is aimed at intensific­ation and expansion of the ongoing movement against the Centre’s farm laws.

As part of the convention, three sessions will be organised on Thursday, including the inaugural session, and one each on industrial workers — agricultur­e labour, rural, poor and tribal people.

Among the topics that the convention is expected to discuss are repeal of all three pro-corporate farm laws, legal guarantee for MSP of all crops, repeal of Electricit­y Bill, 2021, and no prosecutio­n of farmers under the Commission of Air Quality Management in NCR and Adjoining Areas Bill 2021 .

Farmers have been agitating at the Delhi borders demanding the repeal of the three laws since November last year. They have repeatedly expressed fear over the laws doing away with the minimum support price (MSP), leaving them at the mercy of big corporatio­ns.

Over 10 rounds of talks with the government that has been projecting the laws as major agricultur­al reforms have failed to break the deadlock between the two parties.

“It is sad that it’s been nine months but the government is still not ready to talk. But we should not feel demotivate­d,” said Bharatiya Kisan Union leader Rakesh Tikait.

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