Impasse in India

Farmers unions, government agree to renew dialogue as stalemate continues

The first two points in our agenda for talks are — modalities to repeal the three farm laws, and the mechanism and procedure to bring law providing a legal guarantee on the MSP.”

Yogendra Yadav, president of political party Swaraj India

Indian farmers camping outside the capital city in protest against farm laws have scheduled renewed dialogue with government representatives on Tuesday.

The decision to resume talks was made by Sanyukt Kisan Morcha, or the Joint Farmers’ Front, an umbrella body of 40 farmer unions protesting at various Delhi border points against three farm laws enacted in September. But the government has indicated no signs of backing down.

Yogendra Yadav, president of Swaraj India, a political party supporting the farmers’ demands, said they are proposing to hold another round of talks with the Centre, or central government on Dec 29 at 11 am. “The first two points in our agenda for talks are — modalities to repeal the three farm laws, and the mechanism and procedure to bring law providing a legal guarantee on the MSP.”

The three farm laws passed by parliament are the Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act 2020, the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act 2020, and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act 2020.

Five rounds of talks have taken place so far between the protesting unions and the government, but a stalemate has continued with farmers refusing to accept anything less than the repeal of the laws, which they fear would leave them at the mercy of corporates by weakening mandis, or rural markets, and MSP, or Minimum Support Price systems.

Thousands of farmers are camping on various major highways on the outskirts of Delhi since Nov 26, demanding immediate repeal of the three laws and a legal guarantee on MSP.

If the government does not talk of repealing these laws during the proposed talks on Dec 29, the farmers plan to hold a tractor march in the Singhu border between the Delhi territory and Haryana state on Dec 30, according to farmer unions on Saturday.

At a virtual event marking the birth of former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee on Friday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi transferred Rs 18,000 crore ($2.44 billion) to more than 90 million farmers, the latest tranche of funds under the PM-KISAN scheme launched in February last year to provide direct financial assistance to small and marginal farmers.

While interacting with farmers of six states at the event, Modi targeted the Opposition for “pushing a political agenda” over the new farm laws. “Some people are spreading myths and lies that land will be taken away if farmers enter into contract farming,” he said.

The dialogue was part of a massive outreach program initiated by the Bharatiya Janata Party-led government during a time when talks have hit an impasse over farm legislations, which has drawn hundreds of thousands of farmers from neighboring states to protest at Delhi’s borders for a month now.

Modi asserted that an overwhelming number of farmers across India have welcomed the new laws and are already reaping the benefits, and listed the BJP’s victory across states in recent panchayat elections, or village council polls, in which farmers were key voters. These also included areas surrounding protest sites.

“Despite that, farmers across the country have wholeheartedly welcome agriculture reforms. I assure you that I will not let you down,” said Modi, adding only farmers from Haryana and Punjab are protesting.

A farmer leader rejected it, saying this kind of speech “was not right to create a good environment for talks”.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah said on Saturday that farmers agitating against the new laws should come forward and discuss it with the government to find a solution.

Addressing farmers in Kishangarh village on Friday in Delhi, Shah assured that MSP for farmers would continue, mandis would not be closed and corporates would not snatch farmers’ land. Shah also accused the Opposition of “spreading brazen lies”.

Following the footsteps of the Shiromani Akali Dal party, another ally Rashtriya Loktantrik Party broke away from the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance on Saturday against the farm bills.

At the same time, a group of Punjab residents has launched an online campaign urging nonresident Indians to come to India to lend “moral and material” support to farmers protesting against the Centre’s agriculture laws.

Manik Goyal and Joban Randhawa, organizers of the #NRIsChaloDelhi campaign, claimed on Friday that they want to increase awareness among NRIs and channel their support for the farmers’ cause.