NEW DELHI: The government on Saturday seemed to hold on to the negotiations with the agitating farmers by the skin of their teeth after farmers threatened to walk out of the talks, saying it was time for the Centre to take concrete decisions on their demands.
But, the government seemed to have pacified them saying an intra-government deliberation was required to consider their demands. Both the sides eventually agreed to meet for the sixth time on December 9 at 11 am.
According to sources, the government delegation comprising agriculture minister Narendra Singh Tomar, railway minister Piyush Goyal and minister of state for industries Som Prakash provided the farmers the minutes of the meeting held on Thursday. Sources said the minutes of the meeting contained the government’s plans on the ways they planned to bring changes in the laws in accordance with the farmers’ demands.
“The farmers took the document and deliberated on it during the 15-minute tea break,” the sources said. But the farmers rejected the amendments and stuck to their demand of repealing all the three laws.
Sources said in the last segment of Saturday’s meeting the farmers held a silent protest and went on a ‘maun vrat’ to convey to the government their disappointment. They had come prepared with placards that said “yes or no.” They insisted that the government should reply to their demand in yes or no.
“After we flashed placards, Tomar huddled with other ministers inside a room for discussions and came out to brief us that the Act involves a lot of ministries and they need to discuss with other cabinet ministers. They sought two days time and proposed a meeting on December 6 or 7. We told them that December 8 was Bharat Bandh so we can meet on December 9,” Bharatiya Kisan Union leader Buta Singh said. After the meeting, Tomar yet again appealed to the farmers to end the agitation.
“I would like to urge farmers and unions to leave the path of agitation. The government has had several rounds of talks with them and is ready for further discussion for a solution,” he said and also thanked the farmer unions for their discipline during the protests. “The ministers told us that they will table a solution in the meeting of December 9 and asked for some more time to present a concrete proposal.
They told us that after the amendments nothing will be left in the three laws. But we told them clearly to repeal these laws,” said Bharatiya Kisan Union, Punjab (Lakhowal Group), general secretary, Harvinder Singh Lakhowal. Another farm leader, Balbir Singh Rajewal, said the government wanted a discussion on the Act but “we told them they are wasting their time and they should tell us what points of our proposal they agree to. They talk only about amendments but we will not accept anything less than a repeal.
Diljit Dosanjh meets farmers at Singhu
Actor-singer Diljit Dosanjh met the farmers at Singhu border and extended support to them in their protest. The actor requested the Centre to accept the demand of farmers. He also urged the media fraternity to highlight how the farmers are protesting peacefully.