The seventh round of talks between protesting farmers’ unions and three central ministers kicked off here Monday afternoon to break the more than a month-long stalemate on recent farm laws.
Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar, Railways, Trade and Food Minister Piyush Goyal, and State Minister for Trade Som Parkash, who is a MP from Punjab, are holding talks with representatives of 40 farmers unions in Vigyan Bhawan.
The meeting began with a silent two-minute tribute to the farmers who lost their lives during the ongoing protest, according to a representative from the agricultural union. More than 50 protesters have died since the unrest began, from various causes, including traffic accidents, heart attacks, and at least three protesters allegedly killed by suicide.
Agricultural leaders and central ministers observed a two-minute silence in memory of the protesters who died, before beginning the seventh round of talks in Vigyan Bhavan. | Photo credit: special arrangement
On December 30, the sixth round of talks was held between the government and the farmers’ unions, where a common point was reached on two demands: the decriminalization of stubble burning and the continuation of energy subsidies. .
However, so far no progress has been made on the two main demands of the protesting farmers: a repeal of the three recent farm laws and a legal guarantee for the MSP’s procurement system.
Thousands of farmers, mainly from Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh, are protesting at various borders in Delhi for more than a month against the three laws. They have remained despite heavy rains and waterlogging at protest sites in recent days, in addition to the severe cold weather conditions prevailing in and around the national capital.
Enacted in September 2020, the government has presented these laws as important agricultural reforms aimed at increasing farmers’ incomes, but protesting farmers have expressed concern that these laws would weaken the MSP and “mandi” (market) systems. wholesaler) and would be left to the mercy of large corporations.
The government has maintained that these apprehensions are out of place and has ruled out repealing the laws.
While various opposition parties and people from outside have come out in support of farmers, some farmer groups have also met with the agriculture minister in recent weeks to extend their support for the three laws.
Last month, the government had sent a draft proposal to protesting farmers’ unions, suggesting seven or eight amendments to the new laws and a written guarantee on the MSP’s procurement system. The government has ruled out repealing the three farm laws.
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