NEW DELHI: protest farmers unions stuck to its demand for a complete repeal of three contentious farm laws in its ninth round of talks with three central ministers, but while the government asked them to be more flexible in their approach and expressed its willingness to make necessary amendments, as the two parties decided to meet again on January 19.
Peasant leader Joginder Singh Ugrahan told reporters after the meeting that the unions urged the government to repeal the three laws, but that the Center was unwilling to do so.
“We decided to meet again on January 19 at 12 at night,” he said.
Ugrahan said union leaders also raised the issue of NIA raids on carriers in Punjab that support farmers‘protests and were providing logistical support for the unrest.
At the nearly five-hour meeting, including a lunch break, farmers’ unions said they are committed to continuing direct talks to resolve the more than a month-long stalemate on three farm laws, even as a committee has been formed. by Supreme Court to resolve the deadlock.
In his opening remarks, Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar urged farmer leaders to be flexible in their approach, as has the government. In addition to Tomar, Minister of Railways, Commerce and Food Piyush Goyal and Minister of State for Commerce Som parkash we are part of the government side talking to representatives of around 40 farmers unions in Vigyan Bhawan here.
“Both the government and farmers unions have reaffirmed their commitment to continue the direct dialogue process,” said Kavita Kuruganti, a member of the All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee, who is part of the meeting.
Peasant leader Darshan Pal said there was a good discussion about the three laws. “There is a possibility of some resolution. We are positive,” he added.
Another leader, Rakesh Tikait, said: “The government has told us that the solution must be found through dialogue and not through a court. Everyone has the same views. There is a possibility of some solution.”
Thousands of farmers, mainly from Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh, have been protesting at various border points in Delhi for more than a month against the three laws.
On January 8, the eighth round of meetings had been inconclusive as the Center ruled out the repeal of the three contentious laws calling for national support for the reforms. However, the farmers’ leaders had said that they were ready to fight to the death and their ‘ghar waapsi’ would occur only after the ‘waapsi law’.
In the sixth round held on December 30 last year, common ground was reached on two demands: the decriminalization of stubble burning and the continuation of energy subsidies.
Enacted in September 2020, the government has presented these laws as major agricultural reforms aimed at increasing farmers’ incomes, but protesting farmers have expressed concern that these laws would weaken the minimum price support (MSP) and “mandi” (wholesale market) systems and leave them at the mercy of large corporations.
The government has maintained that these apprehensions are out of place and has ruled out a repeal of the laws. On January 11, the Supreme Court had suspended the implementation of the three laws until further orders and appointed a four-member panel to resolve the deadlock. Union Bhartiya Kisan President Bhupinder Singh Mann, however, withdrew from the committee on Thursday.
Shetkari Sanghatana (Maharashtra) President Anil Ghanwat, Pramod Kumar Joshi of the International Food Policy Research Institute and agricultural economist Ashok Gulati are the other three panelists.
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