The seventh round of talks between the government and the protesting farmers’ representatives remained unfinished on Monday, with both sides declining to budge. While the farmers stood firm in their demand for repeal of three farm laws, the government attempted to discuss the laws in terms of clauses and is believed to have suggested a panel to end the stalemate.
Thousands of farmers, mainly from Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh, are protesting at various borders in Delhi for more than a month against the three laws.
There is no progress in the talks between the center and the farmers; next meeting on January 8
Union ministers and representatives of farmers’ unions failed to break the deadlock against the three agricultural laws. The Center has refused to repeal the laws, which has led to farmers to threaten to escalate their protests, but both sides
agreed to meet again on January 8.
Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar said he remains hopeful for a solution at the next meeting on January 8, but affirmed that efforts should be made by both sides to reach a solution. He also said that no results could be reached at the meeting, as peasant leaders stood firm on an issue of repeal of the laws, but the government wanted a discussion on the legislation through clauses to boost talks.
Trade union ministers are silent to mourn the farmers who died during the protest
Peasant leaders, however, claimed that it was the government’s “ego problem” that stood in the way of solving the problems and insisted that they would not back down on their key demands for the repeal of the three laws and a legal guarantee. for the MSP. (minimum support price) for the purchase of your crops.
Farmers organize their own langar at the meeting with the Center
During the lunch break at the meeting with the Center, the protesting farmer representatives had their own food, arranged from the langar (community kitchen), as they have been doing the last few times. However, unlike the last round of talks on December 30, the ministers did not join union leaders for the langar meal and were seen having their own separate discussion during the break, which lasted almost two hours.
Video: Farmers’ representatives have lunch at Vigyan Bhawan, where the government is holding talks with farmers about three agricultural laws. (Source: BKU)
This is the seventh round of meetings between the farmers and the Center.
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– The Indian Express (@IndianExpress) January 4, 2021
Reliance Supports Farmers’ Demand for a Fair Price, Says It Will Never Enter Contract Farming
Mukesh Ambani headed Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) on Monday said that the cThe company would always support the demand of Indian farmers for a “fair and profitable price on a predictable basis” for its products, and that the company had no plans to enter contract farming now or in the future. The company also said that, through its subsidiary Reliance Jio Infocomm, it had mentioned a petition to the Punjab and Haryana High Court, in which it had requested urgent government intervention to stop the vandalism of its towers.
Most of the farmers who have been protesting against the three new farm laws enacted by the central government in September have claimed that the new rules would give large contract farming companies an undue advantage. Farmers have also claimed that large companies such as RIL and the Adani Group had been buying vast tracts of agricultural land in Punjab and Haryana, where they planned to undertake contract farming and establish private mandi, which would undermine government-run mandi.
35 students from Panjab University write to CJI to investigate atrocities against protesting farmers
Thirty-five students from Panjab University have written to Chief Justice of India (CJI) SA Bobde and other Supreme Court justices seeking an investigation into alleged police atrocities against farmers protesting at the borders of India. Delhi against the three agricultural laws. Aanchal Sawa, one of the signatories to the letter, told PTI that the supreme court registry has provided the journal number to the letter that can be recorded and heard as PIL.
In the open letter, the students of the University’s Center for Human Rights and Duties have denounced that there has been an “illegitimate use of water cannons, tear gas projectiles and lathis on peasants who protest peacefully” by the police authorities what should be investigated.
Haryana police use tear gas against protesters
On the eve of the next round of talks between protesting farmers’ unions and the Center on Monday, Haryana police on Sunday fired tear gas projectiles to arrest a group of farmers, mostly from Rajasthan, moving towards Delhi.
The incident occurred near the village of Sangwari in the Rewari district, on the NH-48, about 10 miles from Gurgaon, around 4 pm.
Haryana police fired tear gas canisters to arrest protesters in Rewari district on Sunday. (Source: Reuters)
On Thursday, more than 300 farmers forced their way through the barricades on the Rajasthan-Haryana border and into Rewari. On Sunday, some 50 more farmers, mostly from Hanumangarh and Sri Ganganagar in Rajasthan, followed them, after which the police fired tear gas canisters. Most of the protesters, however, remained at the border.
Opposition leaders support farmers’ demand
Haryana opposition leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda said on Monday that the Congress Legislature Party will provide 2 lakh rupee financial assistance to each of the farming families who died during the agitation against the farm laws of the Center.
Before the meeting, Congress said it would be a “true test of nationalism” and warned that no government can face the wrath of farmers “who believe they are being misled.”
Delhi Chief Minister and AAP Coordinator Arvind Kejriwal also called on the Center to accept all the demands of protesting farmers and repeal the three agricultural laws.
Farmers Install LED Screens on Singhu Border to Reach Out to Protesters
As more people join their agitation, farmers protesting against the three agricultural laws on the Singhu border in Delhi have installed giant LED screens and speakers to reach as many protesters as possible. As their turmoil entered on the 37th, the teams running the farm unions have also taunted themselves with walki-talkies to get in touch and send messages. From LED screens to loud speakers, the ongoing farmers’ protest at the Singhu border has gone high-tech to optimize accessibility for protesters.
(PTI inputs)
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