Farmers Movement Archive

Resume talks with farmers: Haryana minister to Centre amid Covid surge

Worried about the huge presence of agitating farmers at the Delhi border amid the Covid-19 second wave, Haryana health and home minister Anil Vij on Friday said he will write to Union agriculture minister Narendra Singh Tomar to restart the dialogue with farmers and break the logjam. “The presence of such a huge crowd of farmers at Haryana’s borders is a matter of worry for me. The Covid-19 infection is spreading at an alarming speed. I have to shield (protesting) farmers also from the virus,” Vij told reporters on Friday, saying the state government will discuss and act on all directions Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave on Thursday, including night curfew. Also read: ‘No plan to curtail train services’: RailwaysReiterating the significance of dialogue in hammering out solutions of complex problems, Vij said he will soon write to Tomar to resume talks with the farmers, who have been protesting against the Centre’s three farm laws. He said dialogue is the only way to diagnose the problems of the farmers so that those gathered at the Haryana-Delhi border call off the stir. Protests leave BJP-JJP leaders red-faced There is growing concern that the massive presence of agitating farmers at Delhi border has the potential to become a superspreader event. Also, another worry of BJP-JJP government in Haryana is borne by the fact that the protesting farmers and the organisations supporting them have not been allowing BJP-JJP leaders to hold public functions in the state. Such is the situation that chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar has been holding virtual ceremonies (via videoconferences) to inaugurate developmental projects. Not just this, every now and then BJP-JJP leaders are being left red-faced by the boycott calls given by farmers who are not allowing leaders to enter villages. Stricter guidelines on gatherings in place With coronavirus cases increasing, the Haryana government has imposed fresh curbs on indoor and outdoor gatherings, besides funerals from April 5. While the gathering at funerals has been restricted to 50 people, at indoor events, 50% of the hall capacity and not more than 200 people will be allowed to assemble. For outdoor functions, the state government has allowed 500 people to assemble. “The new guidelines issued on Sunday are being implemented strictly in order to wipe out the virus,” Vij said.

Hindustan Times

09-04-2021

Chandigarh