Say ‘yes’ or ‘no’, farmers tell Centre on farm laws

Talks end in deadlock, next meeting scheduled on Dec. 9

The government on Saturday proposed to hold another meeting on December 9 with representatives of protesting farmers as their fifth round of talks ended in a deadlock with the farmers’ group going on a “maun vrat” (vow of silence) during the meeting, seeking a clear “yes or no” answer to their demand of repealing the three new farm laws. And, for the second time, farmers’ leaders declined the Centre’s offer of lunch and sat down on the floor to eat their packed food.

At the beginning of the meeting at Vigyan Bhawan, Union agriculture minister Narendra Singh Tomar told the group of farmer unions that the government is committed to cordial talks and welcomed all positive feedback on the new farm laws, sources said.

Later, minister of state for commerce Som Parkash, an MP from Punjab, addressed the leaders in Punjabi and said the government understands the sentiments of Punjab.

But after over four into the meeting, in which farmers stuck to their demand of doing away with the farm laws altogether and sought assurance that minimum support price (MSP) for their produce will not be done away with, and the government not agreeing, irate farmers’ representatives underlined their rising discontent over lack of progress by opting for a brief silent protest and refusing to engage with the Centre. They held up placards that said “Yes Or No?” The implicit question was, “Will the Centre scrap the farm laws?”

During Saturday's meeting, the farmers also threatened to walk out over “meaningless” talks, but were persuaded to return to their seats.

Sources said the government then sought some time from the unions to present a concrete proposal after further consultations within the government and proposed another meeting on December 9 next week. That will be the sixth round of talks between the government and representatives of farmers, thousands of whom are protesting at various borders of Delhi against what they claim are the laws meant to end the mandi system and minimum support price procurement system to benefit corporates.

—PTI Representatives of various farmer unions show their water bottles, which they had carried along to the venue, during their meeting with the government over the Centre’s new farm laws, at Vigyan Bhavan in New Delhi on Saturday.