Agricultural union leaders and the government will meet for the fifth round of talks on Saturday to resolve the deadlock on the three new laws enacted earlier this year. The Delhi border points remained blocked as thousands of farmers from Haryana, Punjab and other states held demonstrations for the ninth day in a row.
Union ministers Rajnath Singh, Amit Shah, Narendra Singh Tomar and Piyush Goyal gather at Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s residence in New Delhi hours before talks between the government and farmers protesting controversial farm laws. Farmers protest against the Agricultural Products Trade and Trade (Promotion and Facilitation) Act of 2020, the Farmers’ Agreement (Empowerment and Protection) on Price Guarantee and the Agricultural Services Act of 2020 and the Essential Products Act (Amendment ) of 2020.
Here’s what farmers and their leaders have said so far on the subject:
1. “The government has just published dates. All organizations have unanimously decided that today is the last day for discussion, ”said a protesting farmer.
2. Peasant leader Rampal Jat, chairman of Kisan Mahapanchayat, said that if the talks on Saturday are not concluded on a positive note, Rajasthan farmers will march along National Highway 8 towards Delhi and camp at Jantar Mantar. “The government should announce the withdrawal of the three black laws and give in writing that the minimum support price will continue. If there is no positive outcome from today’s talks, Rajasthan farmers will march on NH-8 to Delhi and camp at Jantar Mantar, ”said Jat.
3. One protester said he hopes Saturday’s meeting with the government will be positive. “We will not stop until the government agrees with our demands. We will make the movement bigger, “he added.
4. “If something concrete does not happen in today’s meeting with the central government, then we will do gherao in Parliament,” said another farmer.
5. The general secretary of the Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU), Harvinder Singh Lakhwal, has called for a Bharat Bandh on 8 December if the government does not withdraw the controversial agricultural laws, enacted in September. “We have planned to block all roads leading to Delhi in the next few days if the new agricultural laws are not removed,” Lakhwal said. “Yesterday (Thursday) we told the Government that the agricultural laws should be withdrawn. On December 5, the effigies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be burned across the country, “Ladkhwal was quoted as saying by the ANI news agency. “We have made a call for Bharat Bandh on December 8,” he added.
(With contributions from the agency)
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