The seventh round of talks between farmers’ representatives and central leadership to end the stalemate on farm laws, enacted in September last year, began at Vigyan Bhawan in Delhi on Monday. Both parties observed two minutes of silence in tribute to the 50 protesting peasants who died during the unrest.
Union ministers Narendra Singh Tomar, Piyush Goyal and Som Parkash, along with government officials, are in a meeting with farmers represented by a team of 41 leaders. Before the meeting, Tomar said. “I am hopeful that we will find a positive solution today. We will discuss all the issues at the meeting. ”
Speaking to the ANI news agency, an agricultural union leader also said: “We hope there will be a breakthrough at this meeting in the new year.” Hannan Mollah, All India Secretary General Kisan Sabha said: “It is up to the government whether it wants to solve the farmers’ problems or conspire against the farmers to stop their struggle. We hope the government takes a humane approach to farmers. “
During the sixth round of negotiations, some common ground was reached about concerns about rising electricity rates and penalties for stubble burning. The Center had agreed to save farmers the heavy fines for burning crop residues, as provided in an anti-pollution ordinance, and to continue the current mechanism of providing subsidized energy for agricultural use. controversial issues of the total repeal of the three agricultural laws and a legal guarantee of minimum support price (MSP).
Before the meeting, Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) spokesperson Rakesh Tikait said: “Many issues will be discussed today. The government must understand, the farmer has taken this move to heart and will consider no less than the repeal of these laws. The government should implement Swaminathan’s report and enact laws on MSP. “
Thousands of farmers, mainly from Punjab and Haryana, have been protesting on the borders of Delhi to demand a complete repeal of three controversial farm laws: the Trade in Agricultural Products and Trade (Promotion and Facilitation) Act of 2020, the Farmers Agreement (Empowerment and Protection) on the Agricultural Prices and Services Guarantee Act of 2020 and the Essential Products (Amendment) Act of 2020, for more than one month. They have threatened to hold a tractor rally in the national capital on January 26 if their demands are not met.
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