During their last meeting, the peasant leaders had their own lunch, tea, and even water.
New Delhi:
Meeting with the government for the fifth time on Saturday with their demands to repeal the three new agricultural laws, the union leaders decided to have their own tea and food, transported from their langar (community kitchen) on the Singhu border, where thousands of farmers protest for more than a week.
The fifth round of talks began at 2.30 pm and was attended by 40 representatives from various farmers’ organizations.
Union leaders said they had their own food and tea during a break, instead of having what the government arranged at Vigyan Bhawan, the meeting place.
During their last meeting on Thursday as well, the peasant leaders had their own lunch, tea and even water.
Farmer leaders had told the government early Thursday to focus on solving problems rather than trying to be a good host by offering lunch.
Thousands of peasants have camped on various borders of the national capital as part of their protest against the laws.
Union Minister of Agriculture Narendra Singh Tomar, Minister of Railways, Trade and Food, Piyush Goyal, and Minister of State for Trade, Som Parkash, who is an MP from Punjab, are holding talks with representatives of the farmer groups in Vigyan Bhawan.
Enacted in September, the laws have been presented by the government as major reforms in the agricultural sector by cutting out middlemen and allowing farmers to sell anywhere in the country.
However, protesting farmers were concerned that the new laws would remove the safety cushion of a Minimum Support Price (MSP) and the procurement system, while rendering ineffective the mandi system that ensures profits for various stakeholders in the agricultural sector.
On Wednesday, the agitating farmers demanded that the Center convene a special session of Parliament and repeal the 2020 Trade and Trade in Agricultural Products (Promotion and Facilitation) Act; the Farmers Agreement (Empowerment and Protection) on Price Guarantee and Agricultural Services Law, 2020; and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act 2020.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is posted from a syndicated channel.)
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