Farmers’ protest | Agriculture Ministry postpones next round talks to Wednesday

The Agriculture Ministry has postponed the next round of talks between Central Ministers and protesting farm unions, which was supposed to be held on Tuesday, to Wednesday. The delay is due to “unavoidable reasons”, it mentioned in a late evening communication to the unions.

The letter was despatched quickly after Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar returned to Delhi from a go to to his constituency in Madhya Pradesh. Earlier, talking to reporters in Gwalior, he blamed the protesting unions for the persevering with stalemate. “The unions are not willing to discuss the specific provisions of the laws, so the deadlock persists. Tomorrow, there is a meeting again. I am hopeful that the unions will discuss alternatives [other than the repeal of the laws] so that we can reach a solution,” he mentioned.

Mr. Tomar additionally urged the unions to hand over their plans for a tractor rally in Delhi on Republic Day. “I want to appeal to farmers that January 26 is our Republic Day, and our country has got independence after many sacrifices. It is the responsibility of the farmers also to ensure that the dignity of Republic Day is not affected. I hope they will reconsider their decision,” he mentioned.

Farmers teams welcomed the Supreme Court’s feedback throughout Monday’s hearing on their Republic Day plans, and reiterated their plans to go forward with their tractor rally. On Monday, the unions held preliminary discussions with the Delhi Police relating to their plans.

“The Court has not said we must not enter Delhi. They are not going to stop us. It has told the government it is your job to deal with the situation and you do it. Now let us see what the government does,” mentioned All India Kisan Sabha common secretary Hannan Mollah.

He mentioned that Surendra Singh Yadav, Joint Commissioner, Delhi Police had visited the Singhu border protest web site with a group of seven-eight senior police officers for preliminary discussions with the Samyukt Kisan Morcha management current there.

“We have informed our plans for January 26, including our route on Outer Ring Road. They spoke of difficulties from their side. We discussed how to conduct it [the rally] peacefully without any untoward incident. We told them even a single incident will be more harmful to us, and we will take every step to ensure that there is no problem,” Mr. Mollah advised The Hindu after the discussions. “We will need at least two-three more meetings to discuss with the police,” he added.

Also learn: SC committee to meet farmers’ groups from Jan. 21

This comes on the eve of the primary assembly of the committee appointed by the Supreme Court to resolve the disaster.

“The three of us will hold our first meeting tomorrow (Tuesday) afternoon, probably at the Pusa campus [of the National Agricultural Science Complex]. We will hold the first meeting with farmers’ groups on January 21,” mentioned Shetkari Sanghatan president Anil Ghanwat, one of many three remaining members of the committee..

The unions protesting on the borders of Delhi for nearly two months have refused to meet with the committee, however Mr. Ghanwat who heads a pro-reforms union, is unfazed. “There are tons of and 1000’s of farmers and farmers’ teams who’re in favour of the legal guidelines and who’re keen to meet with us. We will hear to them first,” he mentioned. “We will keep on urging all farmers’ groups to talk to us as the Supreme Court has directed it. We are here to listen to everyone,” he added. The SC committee may even meet with millers, meals processors and different representatives of the agribusiness and meals trade, however there may be at the moment no plan to meet with authorities representatives, he mentioned.

The farm unions noticed Mahila Kisan Divas in any respect their border protest websites on Sunday, with girls taking on the stage and declaring their intention to keep put till the three legal guidelines are repealed.

The motion additionally confronted some inside churn, with the joint entrance of the Samyukt Kisan Morcha disassociating itself from the political outreach of one in all its key members, Haryana chief Gurnam Singh Chaduni.

Mr. Chaduni had written letters to political events in relation to the continuing protest towards the three farm reform legal guidelines on Delhi’s borders, and met with some politicians at Delhi’s Constitution Club on Sunday. After a public disassociation by the SKM, Mr. Chaduni promised to avoid additional political conferences throughout the agitation.

“This movement was brought to this stage by farmer organisations and alliances with the active participation of farmers and others, and it is they who will take it to its end-objectives. Any organisation and party is free to extend its support; however, the Samyukt Kisan Morcha and the movement will not have any direct engagement with any political party,” mentioned the joint entrance, in a press release.