The Centre is scheduled to meet the representatives of protesting farmers on December 3 for a crucial round of talks over the agricultural laws passed earlier this year. A similar meeting that took place on December 1 failed to make any progress.
Farmers, particularly from Punjab and Haryana, have been agitating over these laws since they were passed. They headed towards New Delhi last week to register their protest and demand their repeal from the central government.
The meeting between the government and the leaders is scheduled to take place at the Vigyan Bhavan at 12 noon. The farmer leaders would leave from the Singhu border by bus between 9 am and 10 am. At least 35 farmer organisations will be represented in this meeting.
Ahead of these crucial talks, Home Minister Amit Shah on December 2 met Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar and Railway Minister Piyush Goyal to discuss strategies to dispel farmers’ concerns.
Reports suggest that police earlier shifted the farmers from the Noida border to the Dr Ambedkar Memorial Park in Noida.
After the meeting with the government, the farmer leaders are expected to come together at the Singhu border to discuss their strategy. Certain farmers said that they would come to Delhi if there are no results by 2 pm.
Farmers are currently protesting at four busy border points of Delhi — Ghazipur, Noida, Singhu, and Tikri — under heavy police deployment, as part of their ‘Delhi Chalo’ movement.
As on December 3, farmers have put up tents on the route from Delhi to Noida as well. Azad Samaj Party leader Chandrashekhar Azad Ravan is slated to meet the farmers at the Singhu border at 10 am.
“The Centre should call a special session of Parliament to repeal the new farm laws. We will continue our agitation till these laws are repealed,” Krantikari Kisan Union president Darshan Pal said, after a meeting of around 35 farmer organisations.
He blamed the Centre for trying to create divisions between farmers by projecting the current protests as Punjab-centric. He added that representatives of organisations from other states would be involved under the Kisan Samyukt Morcha to decide their course of action.
Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Rakesh Tikait told reporters that the Centre must repeal the three farm laws and turn Minimum Support Price (MSP) policy into law.
On the matter of a committee proposed by the Centre, he said, “There are simply too many committees in the country. There have been several committee reports in the past but they don’t result in anything. Committees are created essentially to avoid an uprising. I have been part of the farmers’ movement for nearly 30 years, so I know that much.”
The protesting farmers demanded that the Centre bring in a special session of the Parliament to repeal these laws and said that they would otherwise take more actions including road blockages in Delhi.
The All India Motor Transport Congress (AIMTC), the apex body of transporters, extended support to the farmers and said that it would end operations in north India from December 8 if the government failed to address the concerns of the farmers.
Farmers from Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand have also joined in at certain border points. The farmers were there despite facing huge losses back home, a protestor told Zee News.
They kept on with their agitation despite the cold and said that they were prepared for a long haul and would not leave before their demands were accepted.
The three controversial agricultural laws in question are the Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020, and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act 2020.
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