Unions claim Govt unwilling to resolve issues as Centre plans to persuade kisan to call off stir
Agreeing to discuss the four-point agenda of the farmers, the Ministry of Agriculture on Monday invited 40 protesting farmers’ unions for the next round of talks on Wednesday to find a “logical solution” to the current impasse over the three new farm laws that has led to massive protests near Delhi’s borders for the last one month.
This will be the sixth time that the Centre will be making an attempt to convince farmers to call off their month-long agitation. However, a joint front of farmer unions had proposed that the talks be held on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, reacting to the Government response, farmers’ unions have agreed “in-principle” to a Government proposal for talks, but said the Centre should have spelt out the agenda of the meeting in its invite.
Samyukt Kisan Morcha — an umbrella body of 40 unions protesting against the contentious legislations — said the farmers have agreed to go for the meeting on the date proposed by the Centre, while All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee (AIKSCC) has said the Centre has shown an unwillingness to resolve the issue.
“The Government has used vague and unspecific language, indicating its unwillingness to discuss the full agenda items proposed by farmers,” the organisation said in a statement. It also said the Government is trying to find ways to blame farmers in order to cover up its consistent adamant stand of continuing with the three farm laws and Electricity Amendment Bill.
Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar, however, said he is hopeful to find an early solution to end the impasse. Speaking at a virtual event organised by Confederation of NGOs of Rural India (CNRI), he said a “wall of lies” has been spread in a “planned manner” among farmers against the new farm laws, but it will not last long and protesting peasants will soon realise the truth.
Earlier in a letter to the unions, Agriculture Secretary Sanjay Agarwal noted that the farmers’ groups had communicated their willingness to hold discussions with an open mind.
“The Government of India is also committed to logical solution of the relevant issues with an open mind and honest intentions,” he said.
However, the Government letter does not specifically make reference to the farmers’ key demand for repeal of three reform laws.
With regard to the proposed agenda by the unions for the meeting, Aggarwal said a detailed discussion will take place on three farm laws, MSP procurement system as well as Electricity Amendment Bill and ordinance to tackle air pollution in and around Delhi and NCR.
The decision to finalise the date for next of round talks was after a high-level meeting held by Union Home Minister Amit Shah with Union Minister Piyush Goyal and Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar on the farmer crisis.
However, the Government letter did not make any specific reference to one key condition proposed by the unions seeking talks on modalities for the repeal of the Acts. The date given by the Government for the next round of talks is the same day when unions have also decided to hold a tractor march from Singhu Border and Tikri Border to the Kundli-Manesar-Palwal (KMP) highway.
The last formal meeting took place on December 5, in which union leaders had demanded a clear “yes or no” answer from the Government on their main demand of the repeal of the three laws while the sixth round of talks originally scheduled for December 9 was called off a day after an informal meeting of Shah with some union leaders failed to reach any breakthrough.
Tuesday, 29 December 2020 | Rajesh Kumar | New Delhi
