After Prime Minister’s invite, farmer leaders say ready for talks, ask government to choose date

Farmer unions agitating in opposition to the three agri legal guidelines on Monday requested the government to repair a date for the subsequent spherical of talks, quickly after Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged them to end their stir and invited them to resume the dialogue.

They, nevertheless, objected to Prime Minister Modi’s remarks in Rajya Sabha {that a} new “breed” of agitators known as “andolan jivi” has emerged within the nation, and mentioned that agitation has an essential position in a democracy.

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Farmer chief Shiv Kumar Kakka, who’s a senior member of the Samkyukta Kisan Morcha which is spearheading the continuing stir, mentioned they’re ready for the subsequent spherical of talks and the government ought to inform them the date and time of the assembly.

“We have never refused to hold talks with the government. Whenever it has called us for dialogue, we held discussions with Union ministers. We are ready for talks with them (government),” Mr. Kakka instructed PTI.

Eleven rounds of talks have been held over the contentious farm legal guidelines however the deadlock continues because the farmer unions stay agency on their calls for — the repeal of the three legal guidelines and authorized assure for Minimum Support Price (MSP).

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In the final spherical of talks, the government had provided to droop the legal guidelines for 12-18 months, however the farmer unions rejected it.

Thousands of agitating farmers, principally from Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh, have been tenting at three Delhi border factors — Singhu, Tikri and Ghazipur — for over 70 days.

While replying in Rajya Sabha on Monday to a debate on the President’s deal with, PM Modi assured the farmers that Mandis can be modernised, saying “Not just this, MSP was there, it is there and will remain.” “We urge these sitting on the agitation that despite the fact that it’s their proper to agitate, the way in which the outdated persons are sitting there, isn’t proper.

“They (agitators) should be taken back. They should end the agitation and we will together find a solution as all doors are open for dialogue. From this House, I again invite them for dialogue,” Modi mentioned whereas interesting to farmers to finish their agitation.

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Farmer chief Abhimanyu Kohar, who can be a member of Samkyukta Kisan Morcha, mentioned that the government has already mentioned “hundreds of times” that the MSP is not going to go wherever and it’ll stay in place.

“If the government is claiming that MSP will remain, why doesn’t it provide a legal guarantee on the minimum support price for our crops,” Mr. Kohar instructed PTI.

He mentioned that the farmer unions are ready to resume talks with the government, however there ought to be a proper invitation.

“Any issue can be resolved through proper dialogue. We are ready in-principle to resume talks,” the farmer chief.

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In his speech, Modi slammed the mushrooming of a brand new breed of ‘andolan-jivi’ — skilled protestors — who’re seen at each agitation. These “parasites feast on every agitation,” he mentioned.

“Agitation has an important role in democracy. People have a right to oppose the government’s wrong policies,” Mr. Kakka mentioned, referring to the remarks by the prime minister.

Sukhdev Singh, Punjab normal secretary of BKU Ekta Ugrahan, sought to know why the government isn’t guaranteeing a authorized assure on MSP for crops and alleged that it’s attempting to divert the difficulty.

Farmer chief Baldev Singh additionally mentioned that government ought to repeal these farm legal guidelines and supply a authorized assure on MSP for farmers’ crops.

Earlier within the day, farmer chief Rakesh Tikait mentioned enterprise over starvation is not going to be allowed within the nation.

“There will not be any business over hunger in the country. If hunger goes up, the price of crops will be decided accordingly. Those who wish to do business over hunger will be driven out of the country,” Mr. Tikait instructed reporters on the Ghazipur protest website.

To press their calls for, protesting unions held a nationwide ‘chakka jam’ final week, throughout which nationwide and state highways have been blocked in Punjab, Haryana and different components of the nation.