Farmers’ organisations on Wednesday stuck to their demand that the minimum assistance cost (MSP) be created statutory, but appeared to have climbed down from the intransigent position that nothing at all much less than repeal of 3 new farm laws is acceptable to them.
Speaking to FE, agriculture minister Narendra Singh Tomar insisted that the farmers protesting on the borders of Delhi are not demanding legal assure for MSP, when “some others” ask for it.
On the other hand, farmer leaders stated they have sent a reply to the government on its proposals for resumption of talks and sought some “concrete suggestions” from the government.
“We do not want a gift, we want rightful price for our produce. Nothing less than the legal guarantee on MSP is possible to break the deadlock and farmers are ready for talks,” stated Yogendra Yadav, working group member of All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee.
Yadav also stated that these proposals sent by the government on December 9 have been nothing at all but repetition of what was discussed on December 5, which farmers currently rejected.
In the letter addressed to Vivek Agarwal, a joint secretary in agriculture ministry, Darshan Pal of Samyukta Kisan Morcha, has stated: “We want to assure you that agitating farmers are ready for talks. We are waiting for when the government will take it forward with an open mind. It is requested that instead of reiterating rejected proposals, you may please send any concrete proposals as agenda of the discussion.
“On MSP, there is nothing in your proposal that befits a reply. You talked about written assurance on MSP while farmer organisations are demanding legal guarantee for selling at MSP and fixing the prices at C2 costs as recommended by Swaminathan Commission.”
In a sign that the government is also equally determined not to budge from its stated position that the laws will not be repealed, Tomar on Wednesday continued his meeting with distinctive groups and a single such group claimed to have garnered signatures of 6 lakh farmers supporting the laws. Tomar reiterated his present of dialogue on the provisions of the 3 laws.
More than a single lakh farmers have been protesting outdoors Delhi borders given that November 26 demanding repeal of the 3 farm laws, enacted lately to unshackle Indian agriculture from different restrictions.
The Centre final week ruled out the possibility of placing on hold the new farm laws till a proposed committee of independent specialists is constituted to facilitate talks with protesting farmers. Expressing the Centre’s inability to heed the Supreme Court’s (SC) suggestion to “assure that no executive action under the new laws” will be initiated, lawyer common KK Venugopal stated no farmer will then come for registration. Nevertheless, he stated he would seek the Centre’s guidelines on the matter.
Meanwhile, prime minister Narendra Modi will disburse Rs 18,000 crore to bank accounts of 9 crore farmers as final instalment of PM-Kisan scheme for FY21 on December 25 by means of direct advantage transfer (DBT). He will also interact with 6 farmers of 6 states who have benefited from Centre’s different agricultural schemes. The Centre has so far disbursed Rs 96,000 crore to 10.59 crore farmers below PM-Kisan given that its launch in 2019.