Farmers: No talks on current terms
NEW DELHI: After a marathon meeting on Wednesday, unions representing protesting farmers said they were ready to return to the table for talks but not under the current terms proposed by the government.
The unions have sought a “concrete” proposal from the government and said the agriculture minister Narendra Singh Tomar’s letter promising more concessions was vague.
They added that they would not give a new date for talks until these questions were addressed.
The unions had constituted a five-member committee to discuss with representatives of nearly 450 organisations protesting the three farm laws on whether and when to hold talks with the government.
On December 20, a senior farm ministry bureaucrat wrote to the unions on behalf of the agriculture minister, urging farmers to resume talks and suggest a date.
Ahead of the farm outfits’ meeting on Wednesday, Union agriculture minister Narendra Singh Tomar yet again expressed hope for a solution, reiterating that the government was ready for a discussion at a time and date as per “convenience” of the farmers’ unions.
“Through various schemes, we will fill all gaps in agriculture sector, which will benefit farmers and ensure that they
get the right price… Even during the Covid-19 pandemic, we saw that the work related to farming and agriculture wasn’t affected,” news agency ANI quoted Tomar as saying.
“I would also like to thank banks, as they brought more than 1 crore farmers under Kisan Credit cover during the pandemic gave farmers Rs 1 lakh crore in the last eight months. We’ve undertaken some reforms and will bring in future,” he added.
The Union minister further said, “I’m hopeful that farmers’ unions will discuss our request. Whatever they want to add and subtract from the government’s proposal, they should tell us. We’re ready for a discussion at the time and date of their convenience. I’m hopeful for a solution.”
The concessions offered by the government, which the farmers had rejected earlier, include greater oversight on proposed free markets, sparing farmers penalties for pollutioncausing farm fires, an assurance on support prices and allowing farmers access to civil courts to settle disputes.
Protesting unions held a meeting on Tuesday, which was inconclusive.
Tens of thousands of farmers from Punjab and Haryana have hunkered down along Delhi’s borders demanding scrapping of the laws.
The changes pushed by the government allow free markets for agricultural trade, permit traders to stockpile farm commodities for future sales and a national law on contract farming.
Farmers say easing of restrictions will erode their bargaining power and leave them at the mercy of big corporations.
Protests by farmers have continued, with cultivators resorting to a relay hunger strike and chalking out plans to intensify their agitation.
Meanwhile, on Wednesday, Opposition parties including the Trinamool Congress said they support the farmers’ movement against the three new laws.
The Congress too said senior leader Rahul Gandhi along with other party leaders on Thursday will seek President Ram Nath Kovind’s intervention over the issue.
West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee also spoke to farmers protesting in Delhi against the Centre’s new agriculture laws and assured them that her party stands by them, a TMC leader said.
A five-member delegation of TMC lawmakers, comprising Derek O’Brien, Satabdi Roy, Prasun Banerjee, Pratima Mondal and Md Nadimul Haque, also met the farmers there to support their protest against the new farm laws. Separately, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said in a statement that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will release the next instalment of Rs 18,000 crore under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) on Friday and interact with the farmers from six states via video-conferencing.