New Delhi: Talks between three Union Ministers and a representative group of thousands of agitating farmers failed to yield any resolution Thursday. The union leaders stuck to their demand for the repeal of new farm laws. The farmers’ union leaders even refused the lunch, tea and water offered to them during almost eight-hour-long hectic parleys.
The government assured the group of nearly 40 farmer leaders that all their valid concerns would be addressed. However, the other side flagged several loopholes and deficiencies in the laws. They also claimed the new farm laws were passed hastily in September.
The Agriculture Ministry tweeted that doubts of farmers were addressed by Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Narendra Singh Tomar. He led the government side at the talks. Tomar later told reporters that the next meeting will take place Saturday at 2.00pm.
Farmers’ union leaders came out of the meeting venue shouting slogans. They said the talks remained deadlocked and some of them threatened to boycott any further meetings if no solution was found at Thursday’s meeting.
“Discussions are over from our side. Our leaders have said they will not attend further meetings if a solution is not given today by the government. No use for such meetings,” said Pratibha Shinde, AIKSCC (All India Kishan Sangharsh Coordination Committee) working group member and president of Lok Sangharsh Morcha. The organisation represents farmers of Maharashtra and Gujarat.
Another farmer leader Kulwant Singh Sandhu said the government made many proposals including on MSP and procurement system. Those would be discussed among the farmer organisations Friday, before the next meeting with the government Saturday.
Sources said the government gave a detailed presentation on the three new laws. It asserted its intent towards the welfare of the farmers.
However, the union leaders rejected the government’s position at their fourth round of talks. Other than Tomar, the Union Ministers who attended the meeting were Piyush Goyal (Railways) and Som Prakash (Minister of State for Commerce).
After refusing the lunch provided by the government, the farmers preferred to eat the food ferried in a van from the Singhu border. , Thousands of their colleagues are sitting in protest against the new agri laws at the border. They also did not accept tea and water offered to them during the meeting, which began around mid-day.
The government had rejected the demand for repealing the laws. It asked the farmers’ bodies to identify specific issues related to the newly enacted Acts and submit those by December 2 for consideration and discussion Thursday.
Enacted in September, the laws have been presented by the government as major reforms in the agriculture sector. The laws state that middlemen will be removed and farmers will be to sell anywhere in the country their produces.
However, the protesting farmers have been worried that the new laws will eliminate the safety cushion of a Minimum Support Price (MSP) and procurement system.
Agitating farmers demanded Wednesday that the Centre convene a special session of Parliament and repeal the new farm laws. They threatened to block roads in Delhi and ‘take more steps’ if the government failed to do so.
During their marathon meeting Thursday, farmers’ leaders told the government to focus on resolving the issues instead of trying to be a good host by offering lunch, Shinde said.