NEW DELHI: Three central ministers and farmers unions on Friday committed to continue holding direct talks to resolve the over-one-month-long deadlock over three agriculture laws, with Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar urging farmer leaders to be flexible in their approach as has been done by the Narendra Modi government.
The ninth round of talks between protesting farmer unions and three central ministers got underway here on Friday afternoon and discussions were held on all the three laws before the lunch break.
Besides Tomar, Railways, Commerce and Food Minister Piyush Goyal and Minister of State for Commerce Som Parkash are holding the talks with the representatives of around 40 farmer unions at the Vigyan Bhawan here.
“Both the government and farmer unions have reaffirmed their commitment to continue with the direct dialogue process,” All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee member Kavita Kuruganti, who is part of the meeting, said.
The Supreme Court on January 11 had stayed the implementation of the three laws till further orders and appointed a four-member panel to resolve the impasse.
“In his opening remarks, Tomar ji said you keep saying that the government is adamant and making it an issue of ego, even though we have accepted several demands. Don’t you think you should be flexible and not stick to one single demand of repealing the laws,” said Baljit Singh Bali of Punjab Kisan Morcha.
Farmer leader Darshan Pal said there was good discussion on all three laws. “There is possibility of some resolution. We are positive,” he added.
Another leader Rakesh Tikait said: “Government has told us that solution should be found through dialogue and not court. Everyone is of the same views. There is possibility of some solution.”
Thousands of farmers, mainly from Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh, are protesting at various border points of Delhi for over a month now against the three laws.
Bhartiya Kisan Union president Bhupinder Singh Mann had on Thursday recused himself from the committee appointed by the apex court.
Shetkari Sanghatana (Maharashtra) president Anil Ghanwat, International Food Policy Research Institute’s Pramod Kumar Joshi and agriculture economist Ashok Gulati are the other three members on the panel.
On January 8, the eighth round of meeting remained inconclusive as the Centre ruled out repealing the three contentious laws claiming nationwide support for the reforms. However, farmer leaders had said that they were ready to fight till death and their ‘ghar waapsi’ would happen only after ‘law waapsi’.
In the sixth round held on December 30 last year, some common ground was reached on two demands — decriminalisation of stubble-burning and continuation of power subsidies.
Enacted in September 2020, the government has presented these laws as major farm reforms aimed at increasing farmers’ income, but the protesting farmers have raised concerns that these legislations would weaken the minimum support price (MSP) and “mandi” (wholesale market) systems and leave them at the mercy of big corporations.
The government has maintained that these apprehensions are misplaced and has ruled out a repeal of the laws.
Govt wants farmers to form informal group to make concrete proposals: Tomar
Urging farmer unions to form an informal group among themselves to prepare concrete proposals to be discussed in the next meeting, Agriculture Minister Tomar said on Friday detailed discussions took place at the ninth round of talks but could not reach a decisive stage.
The two sides, therefore, decided to meet again on January 19 at 12 pm, Tomar told reporters after the end of the meeting that lasted for nearly five hours.
“Talks took place over three farm laws in a cordial atmosphere and detailed discussions took place on some issues, but couldn’t reach a decisive stage,” he said.
“We suggested they can form an informal group of people who can understand the laws better and prepare some concrete proposals, detailing what are farmers’ expectations and what clauses are problematic for them, which the government can consider with an open mind,” the minister said.
He further said the government is hopeful of discussions reaching some decisive stage at the tenth round of talks on January 19.
On the direct talks between the government and farmers continuing despite the Supreme Court appointing a panel, Tomar said everyone is fully committed to the apex court and the government will also present its side before the committee panel when invited.
“Unions want to continue the dialogue with the government and we have no problem with that. The SC-appointed panel will also work for the welfare of farmers,” he said.
The minister said solution can emerge from the government-farmers talks as well as from the SC-appointed panel’s deliberations.
“Our effort is to resolve the issue through dialogue and we want the protest to end at the earliest given the adverse weather conditions and the COVID-19 pandemic situation,” he said.
On Cong leader Rahul Gandhi’s allegations against the government with regard to the farm laws, Tomar said, “Rahul Gandhi’s statements and actions are laughed at within his own party also.”
“The Congress manifesto in 2019 itself promised these reforms and therefore Sonia and Rahul Gandhi should tell us whether they were lying at that time or are lying right now,” he said.
Source: Press Trust of India
