There is no finish in sight for the ongoing farmers’ stir against the 3 lately enacted agriculture laws even immediately after the fifth round of talks with the government on Saturday, with the farmer unions stubbornly preserving that absolutely nothing significantly less than repealing of these laws would be acceptable to them. On its aspect, the government place on the table specific substantial amendments to the laws to address the farmers’ issues, but was firm on its stance that the laws will not be scrapped.
While the subsequent round of talks are to be held on Wednesday, the farmer unions will orgnanise a Bharat Bandh on Tuesday to press their case. Also, to mark their protest, they have known as for burning of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s effigies all through the nation on Sunday.
According to sources, the government presented to make alterations in the laws through executive orders now, and promised that these would be tabled in Parliament in the subsequent session for ratification.
The alterations presented include things like empanelment of traders with Centre’s agency to acquire from outdoors mandis, removal of the existing clause for dispute resolution to permit farmers to move court , easing of penalty on and decriminalisation of stubble burning.
While Saturday’s meeting of farmer unions with agriculture minister Narendra Singh Tomar and meals minister Piyush Goyal went on for more than 4 hours, the talks had reached a virtual deadlock at the commence of the meeting itself, with the farmers generating it clear that they will not accept any formula other than repeal of the laws.
Earlier in the day, Modi had a meeting with senior ministers to finalise the government’s stand.
The fifth round of meetings, in truth, saw a hardening of stand by farmers, as at 1 point they sat in ‘silent protest’ for 30 minutes, demanding to know the government’s position on their principal demand for laws’ rollback, immediately after which Tomar huddled with officials and announced that the government would come out with ‘concrete proposals’ in the subsequent meeting and asked for ideas from the unions.
There are also indications that talks could come about even earlier than Wednesday if the government is in a position to firm up its supply so that the Bharat bandh known as by farmers on December 8 could be averted, sources mentioned.
Breifing media immediately after the meeting, Tomar mentioned: “The MSP will remain there and there is no need for anyone to fear (that it will go). The Prime Minister and I have said this on the floor of Parliament. The Centre will also do whatever required work to strengthen APMC mandis and the fear that these will close down is unfounded. We do not want to interfere in APMC mandis nor the laws have any such objective. We wanted some more specific suggestions from farmers leaders so that we could have some proposals in the next meeting. I am still hopeful that they will send us such suggestions.”
The protests, currently more than ten days extended, are spearheaded by farmers from Punjab who worry that APMC mandis and the MSP program, of which they are most significant beneficiaries would wither away as a outcome of the reformist laws. Sources type farmer groups told FE that farmers from other components of the nation, which includes Uttarakhand and Rajasthan are reaching the borders of the national capital in significant numbers to join the protests.