Farmers Movement Archive

Centre firm on farm laws as Bharat Bandh passes peacefully

Union Home Minister Amit Shah told a select group of farmers’ leaders late on Tuesday that the Centre would not repeal the three contentious farm sector laws, on a day that saw nationwide road blockades and peaceful protests in support of the demand for a rollback of the laws. Mr. Shah said the Centre will give a written proposal of the amendments it is willing to make to the three laws by Wednesday morning, All India Kisan Sabha leader Hannan Mollah told journalists after the meeting. The leaders of all protesting farmer federations will meet at noon at the Singhu border to discuss the Centre’s proposal, Mr. Mollah said. “We don’t want amendments, we want repeal of laws. There is no middle path,” he added. However, a leader who did not wish to be named said some groups wished to see and consider the government’s proposal before rejecting it. The unexpected meeting with the Home Minister came hours after farm unions under the banner of the Samyukt Kisan Morcha claimed that more than 50 lakh people participated in the Bharat Bandh call at 20,000 locations across the country. At least 25 political parties supported the bandh, along with trade unions, retail and transport associations and many professional bodies. Talks put off As a result of the late night “informal” meeting, the sixth round of talks between all the farmers’ unions and the government will not be held on Wednesday as scheduled, Mr. Mollah said. However, it is not known if all the groups are still holding that position. Mr. Shah and Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar met 13 farmer leaders. By calling a select group, some divisions appear to have been created among the farmer groups. The Rashtriya Kisan Mahasangh, which had two leaders present at the meeting, said the written proposal would cover the Centre’s stand on all of the demands, and not only on the amendments to the laws. “After receiving the government’s written proposal, the farmer leaders will meet and formulate their own strategy. Farmer leaders are adamant on all our demands: repealing the three agricultural laws, enforcing an MSP guarantee law, withdrawal of the Electricity Bill, 2020, and the withdrawal of fines for stubble burning,” said RKMS spokesperson Abhimanyu Kohar. So far, the official talks have taken place at Vigyan Bhavan, led by Mr. Tomar on the government side. On the farmers’ side, the delegation included representatives from all 32 of the Punjab unions, plus a few leaders from other regions and national outfits.

The Hindu

2020-12-09

NEW DELHI