The next meeting between the Center and the farmers will be held on January 22
New Delhi:
The government is ready to freeze the three controversial farm laws for a year and a half and will forward it to the Supreme Court in an affidavit, farmers who attended the 10th round of negotiations tonight told NDTV. Farmers unions, which await repeal of the farm laws, said they would consider the proposal. The government, they said, has been nervous about plans for a large tractor rally on Republic Day.
“The government presented a new proposal to us at the 10th meeting of the round: it is ready to establish a special committee that will consider all our demands together with the three new laws,” said Balkishan Singh Brar of All India Kisan Sabha.
“The government also proposed that until the committee completes the review, the three new laws will be suspended for a year and a half,” he added.
Farm laws were suspended for at least two months by the superior court in an order last week. The court had appointed a special committee to discuss the issue with all parties, giving it two months to present a report.
The farmers, however, had not accepted the committee, saying its four members are pro-government. One of the members also resigned.
“The government is scared and is looking for ways to save its skin,” Brar said. The farmers, he said, will meet with the police tomorrow to discuss the program for the January 26 protest. Farmers said they expect at least 1,000 tractors to participate in the rally, which runs around the outskirts of the city.
The government has opposed the rally, saying such a rally on Republic Day would put the nation to shame.
Despite an appeal from the government, the Supreme Court refused to take a position on the tractor rally, saying that Delhi Police can take a call on the matter.
The next meeting between the government and farmers will be held on January 22.
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