After the seventh round of talks, peasant leaders said the government said it needs to hold internal consultations and would then go back to the unions.
The seventh round of talks between union ministers and the agricultural unions protesting Monday failed to resolve the deadlock in three new agricultural reform laws. Both sides stood firm in their own positions and accused the other of stubbornness, with the Center seeking to discuss specific concerns about the laws and farmers demanding full repeal. The next meeting will be held on January 8th.
Tens of thousands of farmers have completed 40 days of turmoil on Delhi’s borders, braving the intense cold and torrential rains in recent days.
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“There will not be ghar vapasi (go home) until the laws are repealed, ”promised Rakesh Tikait, leader of a faction of the Bharatiya Kisan Union, after meeting with Union ministers.
Although the 41 union representatives and three central ministers were locked in the Vigyan Bhavan conference center for four hours, an extended lunch break, during which the ministers held internal consultations, took almost half that time.
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
The meeting began with attendees observing two minutes of silence to pay tribute to the more than 50 protesters who have died in the course of the unrest. The agricultural unions also urged the Center to condemn the “brutality” of the Haryana Police, which had used tear gas and chili grenades against a group of protesters who broke through barricades on the Delhi-Jaipur highway on Sunday.
During the first hour, the ministers listed the benefits of the three laws, saying they would bring more marketing options for farmers.
Union leaders reiterated their demand for repeal, repeating their claim that the reforms will weaken the system of regulated markets and fixed-price public procurement, leaving them vulnerable to exploitation by large corporations.
“We wanted to have a clause-by-clause discussion of the laws, but the unions remained stuck in a demand for one point for repeal, so no decision could be made,” said Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar. “It takes two hands to clap. Both parties must take steps forward to find a solution, “he added.
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The unions held the Center responsible for the lack of progress. “The government does not seem to have the desire to find a solution,” said Abhimanyu Kohar, a spokesman for Rashtriya Kisan Mahasangh. There was no discussion about the demand for a new law that guarantees minimum support prices, he added.
Unlike the last round of talks, the ministers did not participate in the langar lunch organized by farmers. Instead, they huddled together for their own discussions, extending the break to nearly two hours.
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“When they came back, they kept asking us in different ways if we would consider an option other than repeal. We told them we couldn’t do it, as there are thousands of farmers sitting in the cold on the border for this demand, and thousands of farmers in the villages who are also waiting for it, ”said Kavitha Kuruganti, representative of the Mahila Kisan Adhikaar Manch.
Union leaders warned that the government would face serious consequences if they did not listen to the will of the people, he added.
After another half hour of discussions, the meeting ended with an agreement to meet again on January 8. The unions will hold their own internal consultation on Tuesday.
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