At least 10 organizations representing farmers in various states met with Union agriculture minister Narendra Singh Tomar on Monday to support the three farm laws, on a day when 40 United Front farmer leaders of Farmers began their one-day hunger strike at various border points near Delhi against the legislation recently enacted by the Center. This is the fourth group of farmers to support the laws in the last fortnight.
According to the ANI news agency, the 10 organizations from various states such as Uttar Pradesh, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Bihar and Haryana, associated with the All India Kisan Coordination Committee, submitted a memorandum to the Union agriculture minister. “The members of the All India Kisan Coordination Committee came from Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Maharashtra and Bihar. They supported the farm laws and gave us a letter about it. They said that the Modi government has done this for the well-being of farmers and that they welcome and support it, ”Tomar said, quoted by ANI.
Earlier in the day, the agriculture minister said the government is engaging with farmer leaders to decide the next date for the talks. The government is ready for discussion at any time and peasant leaders have to “decide and transmit” when they are ready for the next meeting, he added. “The reunion will definitely happen. We are committed to the farmers, ”Tomar told PTI.
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On Sunday, a delegation of more than 100 farmers from Uttarakhand had extended their support for the laws. Before that, a delegation of 29 farmers from Haryana gathered in Tomar on Saturday to extend their support for the new legislation and threatened to organize a protest if they were repealed. The delegation, led by Guni Prakash, head of the Bharatiya Kisan Union (Mann) Haryana state, presented a “letter of support” to Tomar on the agricultural laws passed by Parliament in September and demanded that the government continue with these laws.
Last week, farmers, representing Har Kisan, an organization of 116 farmer-owned agricultural enterprises known as farmer producer organizations, met with the minister of agriculture and called for a separate meeting with him with more members. The Haryana farmers group said they were not opposed to any amendments the government might be considering, but that they want the laws to be in place.
Read also | Several border points in Delhi remain closed to traffic as farmer agitation increases
Thousands of farmers, mostly from Punjab and Haryana, have protested against the farm laws and vowed to intensify their agitation if the government does not repeal the laws. So far there have been five rounds of talks between the Center and representatives of 40 farmers’ unions and they have been inconclusive. The sixth round was ruled out after they rejected the government’s draft proposal to amend certain provisions of the farm laws and refused to participate in the meeting. The government has made it clear that it is ready to be discussed at any time. But farmers’ unions have said they will come to the talks only if the laws are repealed.
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