“We are not averse to discussions of comprehensive agricultural reforms if the Center puts repeal of the laws on its agenda. That is our main demand and we are not going to compromise it, ”Punjab President of Krantikari Kisan Union, Darshan Pal, told TOI after their meeting. “We have decided to send our formal response, explaining our position on each point in detail,” said Pal.
Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar again appealed to farmers to join in the talks and reiterated that repeal of the laws was not on the agenda, as the ministry wanted to solve all the “clause by clause ”through discussions at any date and proposals for amendments / clarifications.
Tomar met with some farmers’ unions on Tuesday (UP’s Kisan Sangharsh Samiti and Delhi’s Indian Kisan Union) who supported the farm laws.
During the day, some agricultural representatives from Punjab decided to write to British MPs, asking them to convince British Prime Minister Boris Johnson Do not visit India in January until the Indian government meets the farmers’ demands. Johnson is scheduled to be the main guest at the Republic Day function.
This decision, transmitted to the media by Kulwant Singh Sandhu, general secretary of Zamhoori Kisan Sabha, was not, however, part of the meeting of Sanyukta Kisan Morcha, the body that brings together 40 farmers’ unions. “We did not discuss it in our meeting. The fellow farmers could have announced it individually, ”said Darshan Pal, adding that the Morcha would nonetheless like to call on the Indian diaspora to champion the cause of farmers on December 26-27, as it was decided earlier.
Sandhu said: “Already, 36 UK MPs have written in favor of our protest. The farmers have decided to organize a webinar on December 24, in which five farmers will answer questions about their position on the Center’s agricultural laws and why we oppose them. It will be live, where 10,000 people can participate and it will be broadcast on social media platforms. We asked (Bollywood actor) Kangana Ranaut and others who oppose our protest come prepared. ”
He said that as the central government was on a propaganda wave to justify the laws, they had decided to print 10 lakhs of brochures each in Punjabi and Hindi, and five lakhs in English. “We will make the farmers’ point of view on the laws known in these brochures,” he added.
.
