CHARADE OF TALKS WITH FARMERS DRAWS TO END

The endless charade of talks with the farmers may be drawing to a close with the central government signalling that it was ready to walk away from the negotiation table.

Clearly at its wit’s end with the eleventh round of talks also running aground, the government hardened its stand insisting that its proposal to put the farm laws on hold for 18 months “was its best and last offer.” In the same breath, it asked the protesting farmers to reconsider the proposal, asserting that there was no lacunae in the law.

Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar was categorical that the next round of talks will happen only when farmers were inclined to discuss the government’s proposal. “We thought of accommodating your concerns, not because there was anything wrong with the proposal. We gave you the best proposal. Unfortunately you rejected that,” he said at the meeting, reports News 18.

The TV channel cited its sources as saying that Friday's meeting lasted only 18 minutes and for the rest of the time, farm leaders were in a separate room.

Tomar was quoted as saying by news agency ANI that he was "sad" because farmer leaders did not seem to have "farmers' welfare at the heart of (their) talks". The ball was therefore in their court now. The agriculture minister also reportedly said that some external elements are trying to fan the ongoing agitation.

"Today's meeting lasted only 15-20 minutes... no discussion was held. The government said we have done the maximum we can do... if you (the farmers) want to take this forward, tell us by noon tomorrow and we will arrange a new meeting," Hannan Mollah of the All India Kisan Sabha told NDTV.