Farmer Protests: Next Round of Talks on Dec 9, as Govt Seeks More Time for ‘Concrete’ Proposal

New Delhi:  Talks between farmers’ organisations and the government failed to make any headway on Saturday with the government seeking more time to come out with a ‘concrete’ proposal. The farmer leaders, on their part, went on ‘maun vrat’ (vow of silence) demanding a ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ answer from the government on the repeal of the three laws. The next round of talks will be held on December 9, a day after the ‘Bharat Bandh’ call on December 8, by farmer organisations and backed by trade unions and independent federations. 

During Saturday’s meeting in Vigyan Bhawan, there were reportedly some heated exchanges between farmer leaders and government officials after which Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar is said to have walked out for some time.

Farmer leaders were, however, united in their demand for repeal of the three laws, and were even carrying placards, seeking a “Yes or No’ reply from the government, said sources.

As their meeting with three Union ministers, including Tomar and Piyush Goyal, continued for nearly four hours, farmer leaders told the government to reply in "black and white" whether it will repeal the laws or not, after which the government sought more time for coming out with a ‘concrete’ proposal.

Saturday’s meeting began on a softer note after a meeting between the Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Piyush Goyal, Minister of Commerce and Industry and Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Narendra Singh Tomar, indicating that the government could amend the laws to address the concerns of protesting farmers.

However, the government remained non-committal on bringing any law on ensuring the minimum support price (MSP). Reports suggest that the government was considering a review of clauses to enable redressal of farmers’ grievances in courts instead of the office of District, providing assurance that farmers’ land will not be mortgaged for contracts between farmers and traders, and there would be more stringent regulations for registering the middlemen.

“The government was not responding to the pinpointed question of farmer leaders... The government side was trying to draw us out. But there was utter silence from our side,” said Kavitha Kuruganti of AIKSCC (All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee).

The farmers’ organisations alleged that the laws deprives the farmers of getting remunerative prices of their produce by dismantling the demarcated government markets known as Agriculture Produce Marketing Committees. They further allege the new farm laws not only affect food security of the country but would lead to corporate takeover of farming land through facilitating contract farming. The farmers are also outraged at the new Electricity Act which they say will deprive them of subsidies provided by the state governments resulting in increased costs for the produce. The laws have been opposed by the state governments too for assault on federal structure by depriving them of taxes collected through APMC boards.

Bharat Bandh on Dec 8

 The farmers’ organisations, in an earlier statement, called for nationwide ‘bandh’ on December 8 to resist the laws with support pouring from trade unions and civil society groups. The Joint Platform of Central Trade Unions reiterated its support to farmers and said,” it calls upon the workers, employees and their unions, irrespective of affiliations, to organise active solidarity to the Farmers’ Organisations’ call for Bharat Bandh.”

All India Kisan Sangathan Coordination Committee, the umbrella organisation for farmers’ bodies said,”AIKSCC has called for the Bharat Bandh on December 8 along with all other farmer unions and said it will enforce this throughout the country.

Meanwhile, the farmers’ organisations protested and burnt effigies of PM Modi, Gautam Adani and Mukesh Ambani to express their anger over the laws. Farmers assembled at public places, toll plazas, corporate offices and petrol pumps and at government offices in Rajasthan, West Bengal, Telangana, Odisha, Jharkhand, Himachal Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Bihar, Karntaka. Maharashtra, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Chattisgarh, Tripura, Assam, Puducherry, Uttarakhand, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, and Punjab and burnt effigies of corporate houses and the government. Thousands of people marched in support of the farmers in Bihar and Karnataka.

Thousands of farmers are protesting on various borders of the national capital since November 26, seeking repeal of three farm laws enacted in September. They have also warned of closing all five borders of the national capital connecting it to Uttar Pradesh and Haryana.