At least 500 farmers’ organizations are part of the protest against the recently implemented farm laws.
New Delhi:
Thousands of farmers continue to camp in and around Delhi as their protest against the center’s controversial agricultural laws enters the fourth day. A meeting was called for discussions this morning, a day after Interior Minister Amit Shah approached the protesters and assured them that the government was ready to “deliberate on all the problems and demands of the farmers.”
“We will discuss how to enter into conversations with the center. We are ready for conversations with the center only if we are invited to do the same,” said Ruldu Singh, state president of Punjab Kisan Union, which is among the 500 organizations that are part of the protest.
Singh, who is camping on the Singhu border near Narela outside Delhi, added that in addition to farm laws, they also want the removal of the Electricity Amendment Bill (2020).
Ruldu Singh, the state president of the Punjab Kisan Union, is camping on the Singhu border near Narela on the outskirts of Delhi.
“We firmly know that the union government will not agree to all of our demands. While repeal of the three farm laws is our main demand, we also want the Electricity Amendment Bill (2020) withdrawn. If the government insists on agricultural laws, then we will pressure them to legalize the MSP for the purchase of all crops, “he said.
“The government is ready to deliberate on every problem and demand from farmers,” Shah said in a video message on Saturday.
Shah said the center will hold talks with the agitated farmers’ unions on December 3 and that if they want to hold discussions before then, they will have to shift their protests at a government-designated location.
“If farmers unions want to hold discussions before December 3, I want to assure everyone that as soon as they move their protest to the structured venue, the government will hold talks to address their concerns the next day,” he said. he was quoted by the ANI news agency.
The number of farmers protesting on the Delhi border increased further on Saturday as many more joined them from other states. Many of them have refused to move to assigned land near the outskirts of the capital to hold their protest.
“We will not move from here (the Singhu border) and continue our fight. The Burari protest camp is more like a jail. Thousands of farmers have come from Punjab and Haryana to join the protest. We will not return home.” said an agricultural leader. NDTV.
“The protests are taking place on the Ramlila field, so why should we go to Nirankari Bhawan, a private facility? We will stay here today,” said Bharatiya Kisan Union spokesman Rakesh Tikait, according to the ANI news agency.
For almost three months, farmers have been in arms against farm laws, which aim to carry out reforms by cutting out middlemen and improving farmers’ profits by allowing them to sell their products anywhere in the country. Farmers and opposition parties argue that the laws could lead the government to halt the system of purchasing grain at guaranteed prices, leaving farmers at the mercy of companies.
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