Deadlock continues as seventh round of farmers - centre talks remain inconclusive
The seventh round of meeting between representatives of protesting farmers and the Central government failed to resolve the impasse against the three farm laws. The government remained firm on not repealing the contentious laws and is believed to have suggested a panel to take the matter forward, PTI reported. The farmer groups also stuck to their demand for the repeal of the Acts. Bharatiya Kisan Union leader Rakesh Tikait, who is participating in the meeting, told PTI over the phone during the break that the first hour of discussion remained focussed on the three laws. “Our demand is the repeal of the laws. We will not agree to any alternatives such as the setting of the committee,” he said.
Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar, Railways, Commerce and Food Minister Piyush Goyal and Minister of State for Commerce Som Parkash, who is an MP from Punjab, are present at the meeting with the representatives of 40 farmer unions. The representatives of protesting farmers had their own food, arranged from langar (community kitchen), as they have been doing for the last few times. However, unlike the last round of talks on December 30, the ministers did not join the union leaders for the langar food and were seen having their own discussion separately during the break, which lasted for more than one and half hours. The farmers had earlier threatened to intensify protest by shutting malls and petrol pumps if today’s talks with the Centre fail. “Our demands remain the same. The farm laws must be repealed. The two amendments need to be rolled back and the government must listen. Our agitation will continue,” Jageer Singh Dalewal, a Bharat Kisan Union member said. They even threatened to shut malls and petrol pumps if the Monday’s talks with the Centre fail.regulator has accepted partial data,” he said. A day after talks with the centre ended in a stalemate, the protesting farmers have announced that they will intensify their agitation against the three contentious agriculture laws for the next two weeks. Swaraj
India's Yogendra Yadav, who has been backing the protesters, said on Tuesday that a tractor march will be organised at four Delhi borders on January 7 to press for their demands -- repealing the laws and giving legal guarantee for the Minimum Support Price ( MSP) system. The leader called the march a "trailer" before the massive Republic Day agitation. "We have decided that on January 7, we will take out a tractor march at four borders of Delhi including Eastern and Western peripheral. This will be a trailer for what lies ahead on January 26," Mr Yadav said at a press conference at the Singhu border, the epicentre of the protests. "From tomorrow, for 2 weeks, 'Desh Jagran Abhiyan' will be started and protests will be intensified throughout the country," he added.
Last week, farmers had warned that they would intensify their protests if their demands were not met in the January 4 meeting. They had also announced a tractor rally and nationwide protests on January 26. "On January 26, we will hold a massive rally in Delhi with tricolours on tractors. We give a call for countrywide protests at all headquarters (of the unions)," the protesting farmers had said.
At the seventh round of the centrefarmer meeting yesterday, no breakthrough was made as both sides remained unmoved over their stance on the laws. Sources said the government proposed to discuss the farmers' demand for a legal guarantee for MSP, but the farmers' union leaders insisted on discussing the repeal of farm laws. Agriculture Minister Narendra Tomar "clearly said that the laws will not be repealed. He even told us to approach the Supreme Court for repeal of the laws," said Sarwan Singh Pandher of the Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee, who attended the meeting.
The two sides have agreed to meet again on January 8.
Farmers fear that these laws will result in the phasing out of traditional crop markets, leaving them at the mercy of big corporate houses. They also claim that through these laws, the government intends to scrap the MSP system.
The centre says the laws will eliminate the role of middlemen by providing more avenues to farmers to sell their crops.
Farmers Protest: No Justice For Farmers Fighting For Their Rights In Bitter Cold, Says Congress
As the nation approaches Republic Day, there is no relief for migrant labourers or justice for farmers protesting in the bitter cold, said Congress leader and Rajya Sabha MP Anand Sharma today, reported news agency ANI. Mr Sharma tweeted, "We are living in strange times. No relief for the migrant labour, no justice for India's farmers fighting for their rights in bitter cold, pouring rain, tear gas and braving lathis. As we approach Ganatantra Diwas, we need to reflect on the state of the republic."
Farmers Protest: NGO Planning To Set Up 2-Bed Temporary Hospital At Singhu Border
Volunteers of an non-governmental organisation (NGO) are planning to set up a temporary hospital with two beds for the protesting farmers at the Singhu border, reported news agency PTI. The NGO, Life Care Foundation, had set up a medical camp at the Singhu border on November 30 last year. Sadiq Mohammad, a pharmacist and a volunteer of the NGO, said rain delayed their plans. "We had planned to start the emergency hospital from Wednesday, but it has been delayed due to rain.
Our tent started leaking. We will install a tent with better waterproofing tomorrow. In another couple of days, the hospital will be set up in a portion of the tent," he said.