Vibha sharma
Tribune news service
New Delhi, December 4
Even before tomorrow’s’ nirnayak baithak ‘(decisive meeting), farmers’ unions on Friday called for’ Bharat Bandh ‘on December 8.
Farmers will also burn Narendra Modi government effigies and corporate houses tomorrow, the day Punjab ‘jathebandis’ and other farmer leaders meet with Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar regarding the three contentious farm laws.
Farmer leaders, including those from Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Telangana / Andhra Pradesh and Bengal, decided today collectively that they will attend the meeting tomorrow, but will only be seated if the Center ensures that all three laws will be repealed and guarantees the MSP. in the 23 crops of the country.
By the way, the farmers also plan to ghearao at the toll plazas to prevent them from charging the toll tax on a later announced day.
While the Narendra Modi government seems conducive to some amendments (around nine major issues were identified in yesterday’s meeting) and also provides a written guarantee on the MSP, it is unlikely to give in to the main demand for a full rollback. .
Now it remains to be seen how much the government is willing to go back to buy peace.
One of the times the Modi government turned a decision 180 degrees was in 2015 when it agreed to withdraw most of its contentious amendments to the 2013 Land Acquisition Law.
Sources say that ministers and officials are holding talks, including with the Justice Ministry, to discover a “middle way.”
Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar, who again reiterated that the government was open to farmers’ concerns and wanted to end the stalemate soon, said the APMC would not weaken.
“The government is conducive to the points raised by the farmers in the laws,” he said, adding “We are making an honest attempt to satisfy the farmers on the points identified and solve the problem.”
However, peasant leaders say the government has only two options: either repeal the laws or use force against them in this ‘aar-paar ki ladai’.
“We are approaching a historic victory and the historic loss of the government. They know that if they withdraw the acts, Modi-aura will end. Tomorrow we will ask the Center if it is willing to withdraw the laws. Only if they’re ready will we talk. It’s time to make a decision. We need a guarantee in the MSP, whether the government or the private sector buys, ”they said.
BKU leader Yudhvir Singh said tomorrow’s talks will only focus on withdrawing laws and not amendments. He was supported by Harvinder Singh Lakhowal, Hannan Mollah, Buta Singh Shadipur and other leaders who stated that “minor amendments will not work and neither will the government’s policy of divide and rule.”
“The top 10 trade federations in the country have given us their support. This is now a ‘jan andolan’. We don’t go there for ‘chai pe charcha,’ ”Yogendra Yadav said.
Regarding security concerns raised by Punjab’s Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, they said: “There is no security threat. We have done no harm, he (Punjab CM) knows it well. We do not believe in violence ”.
With support from across the country, the farmers say they are preparing to completely isolate Delhi from all sides, calling on others to join them as “the fight is expected to be long.”
