Farmers Movement Archive

Ready to resume talks: farmers

Farm unions say they are open to resuming talks on the three farm laws but accuse the government of offering dialogue on the one hand while harassing farmers on the other by cutting off mobile Internet, threatening eviction and ignoring violence from locals. With new groups of farmers from Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Punjab streaming into the border protest sites again, several union leaders say they expect to be able to negotiate from a position of renewed strength. The Union Home Ministry on Saturday ordered the suspension of Internet for two days at Singhu, Tikri and Ghazipur, the three main protest sites on Delhi’s borders, where thousands of farmers have been camped for over two months. The U.P. police and local administration have attempted to evict protestors from the Ghazipur site, while local residents, backed by BJP leaders, clashed with protesting farmers in Singhu on Friday. “It is the government which has attempted to derail the debate by inciting violence and communalising the issue,” said Kavitha Kuruganti of the Mahila Kisan Adhikaar Manch. “The government says it wants a dialogue, but it is trying to weaken the farmers in so many ways, cutting off our communications, our water and power. We have to deal with that first,” Ms Kurugunti said adding that union leaders have not had meetings about resumption of talks because they have been preoccupied with these urgent matters.

The Hindu

2021-01-31

NEW DELHI