No breakthrough in farmer talks, next round on Dec.5
Over 34 farmer leaders put out a 5-point set of demands that seeks to frame a specific law on MSP and end the punishment provision for stubble burning
The over seven-hour long talks between the representatives of the farmers’ bodies and the Union government ended without any breakthrough on Thursday and the next round of talks has been scheduled for Dec.5.
As per sources, the farmers have given their suggestions to the government in writing.
Earlier in the day, a group of more than 34 farmer leaders put out a five-point set of demands that seeks to frame a specific law on Minimum Support Price ( MSP) and end the punishment provision for stubble burning, during the fourth round of talks with the Central government on Thursday.
In the writen five-point set of demands, one of the key demands is repealing the three contentious farm laws passed in September during the Monsoon Session of the Parliament. It also raised objections about the upcoming Electricity (Amendment) Act, 2020.
The farmers emphasised that the provision to register a case for stubble burning should be ended, and asked why the government wasn’t ready to give them “writen assurance” on MSP despite its earlier statements that MSP will continue.
The farmers’ union representatives emphasised that a new law on MSP be framed in a special session of Parliament, demanding that it must guarantee them MSP, not just now, but in the future as well.
The farmer leaders said: “Let us assume that MSP will continue but the procurement would stop. The MSP will have no meaning then.” The farmers’ union representatives said that the government said the three farm laws were brought in keeping the interests of the farmers in mind. However, they had never kept these in mind. The farmers feel the farm laws have been passed to benefit big businesses and corporate houses.
Giving an example of sugarcane procurement, the farmers’ organisations objected to contract farming and pointed out its drawbacks.
The talks started around 12.30pm at Vigyan Bhawan in presence of the Centre’s representatives: Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar and Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Minister Piyush Goyal.
The Bharatiya Kisan Union, the Bharatiya
Kisan Sanyukta Morcha and the Krantikari Kisan Union are among the more than 34 farm union representatives who put the demand before the Centre to call a special session of Parliament and frame a law on MSP.
The farm unions were also reportedly adamant on demanding the government repealing its three farm laws enacted in September during the Monsoon Session of Parliament.
They have also put some other demands on behalf of thousands of farmers owing allegiance to these organisations, huddled under the open sky in the cold winter, refusing to budge until their demands are met.
The meeting is also being atended by Union Minister of State for Commerce Som Prakash and Agriculture Secretary Sanjay Agarwal.
Agitated farmers on Delhi-utar Pradesh border near Ghazipur on Thursday failed in their atempt to enter the national capital by breaking the barricades ater the police pacified the situation.
“If a decision is not taken in 24 hours, we will break all the barricades at different locations and enter Delhi,” Pawan Khatana, Bharat Kisan
Union’s Delhi-ncr President, said ater atempting to break the barricades.
Thousands of farmers protesting against the Central farm laws have laid siege at Ghazipur border and on the Delhi-meerut Expressway in a bid to enter the national capital. The crowd swelled ater around 100 tractors reached the protest site at noon.
The border points in the area continue to remain under heavy police cover with multilayered barricades in place.
In the morning, when the farmers had blocked the expressway, Gayendra Singh, SP (City), Ghaziabad, had said that the police were hopeful that the blockade will end soon on the key road leading to Delhi.
The farmers have been siting on protest for the last eight days at Delhi-haryana and DelhiUtar Pradesh borders. Thousands of farmers have been camping at the Singhu border, while several other groups have blocked entry at the Delhi-haryana border in Tikri, the Delhi-up border in Ghazipur and the Delhi-up border in Chilla.