Talks fail, Punjab farmers to continue blockades
Miffed farmers walk out, say agri minister Tomar was not present at meeting
CHANDIGARH : Farmers’ organisations from Punjab on Wednesday boycotted a meeting called by the Union agriculture ministry to resolve their concerns over new farm laws and accused the government of playing double standards with no minister present to hear them out.
Representatives from 29 farmers’ organisations were miffed at the absence of agriculture minister Narendra Singh Tomar in the meeting.
Shortly after farmers’ representatives walked out of the meeting, both Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh and SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal termed the minister’s absence from the meeting with farmers an “insult” to “annadaatas”.
The meeting was convened at the Krishi Bhawan amid police security to avoid any protest. After the meeting, agitated farmers’ representatives were seen shouting slogans and tearing copies of new farm laws outside Krishi Bhawan.
The farmers said the rail blockade and protests will continue even as they meet in Chandigarh on Thursday to decide on the further course of action.
“We accepted the Centre’s invite for talks but were disappointed as there was no one at the meeting who could decide on our demands,” said Jagmohan Singh Patiala, the general secretary of Bharti Kisan Union (Dakounda), a key farm union of Punjab.
When Union agriculture secretary Sanjay Agarwal tried to pacify the seven farmer representatives, asking them to stay for talks, they handed over their memorandum of demands and walked out.
BS Rajewal,who heads a faction of BKU, said: “The Centre’s intentions are doubtful. Despite our request, they did not depute anyone from the political dispensation to interact with us.” He said they have asked the secretary-level officer to call farmers for talks if the Centre feel there’s a scope to take corrective steps.
Later, the Union agriculture ministry clarified that the meeting was actually scheduled at agriculture secretary level, asserting that the government is always committed to protecting the interest of farmers and is open for discussions.
Contrary to our suggestion, there was no one at the meeting who could decide on our demands JAGMOHAN SINGH PATIALA, BKU-Dakounda
CHANDIGARH: The Punjab and Haryana high court on Wednesday made it clear that it is the collective responsibility of Centre and the Punjab government to hold extensive discussions at the highest level with agitating farmers on new farm laws to pacify them. It also requested the Centre and Punjab to apprise it by Friday of progress of the talks between farmers’ leaders and Centre.
“..if they (farmers) have to continue, (protests) should be held peacefully, with the least possible inconvenience to everyone and consistent with the Union ministry of home affairs (MHA) guidelines (on covid-19) and directions issued by the Supreme Court from time to time (on holding of protests),” the bench of justice S Muralidhar and justice Avneesh Jhingan said during the resumed hearing of a plea on Wednesday.
‘Talks are in progress’
Earlier, Punjab as well as the Centre had told court that at present, talks are in progress both by the state government and Centre with the representatives of the protesting farmers’ organisations. Punjab had told court that protests were peaceful so far, but in some places rail tracks and toll collection centres on highways have been blocked by farmers.
“The court requests the Government of Punjab as well as the Union of India to apprise it on the next date of the progress of these talks. We would also impress on the governments that it would be their collective responsibility to hold as extensive discussions as are possible, and at the highest level of the respective government machineries, with the protesting farmer outfits to ensure an outcome that is consistent with the need of the hour viz, that the protests end,” the bench underlined.
The plea being adjudicated was originally filed in 2019 by a Patiala resident against the farmers’ stir. In the pending plea in September, the petitioner moved an application seeking direction to Punjab to ensure that Covid-19 norms are followed by farmers.