Talks between Centre and farmer leaders end in deadlock; next meeting on December 5

The talks between three union ministers and a consultant group of 1000’s of agitating farmers in Delhi’s Vigyan Bhavan didn’t yield any decision on Thursday. The farmer union leaders caught to their demand for the repeal of latest farm legal guidelines and even refused the lunch, tea and water supplied to them throughout virtually eight-hour-long hectic parleys.

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On its half, the federal government assured the group of almost 40 farmer leaders that each one their legitimate considerations could be mentioned and thought of with an open thoughts, however the different aspect flagged a number of loopholes and deficiencies within the legal guidelines, which they stated have been handed in September.

READ | MSP is not going to be touched, says Agriculture Minister Tomar as farmers’ assembly with Centre concludes

Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar, who led the federal government aspect on the fourth spherical of talks at Vigyan Bhawan, later informed reporters that the subsequent assembly will happen on December 5 (Saturday) at 2 pm.

Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar addressed the doubts of farmers in the course of the assembly with union leaders.  After holding the assembly, Tomar informed reporters that “MSP (Minimum Support Price) will not be touched, no changes will be made to it”. 

Tomar stated that the fourth spherical of talks has concluded in a really positive environment, including that there’s “no ego involved” and the federal government has agreed to “discuss and consider with an open mind open” all main factors of considerations amongst farmers concerning the three new legal guidelines, together with on strengthening of the APMC (Agriculture Produce Marketing Committee) mandi system, tax parity with proposed non-public mandis and freedom for farmers to method greater courts for any dispute decision. 

“The government will also be open to looking into farmers’ concerns related to an ordinance on stubble burning and an electricity-related law,” Tomar stated.

After the assembly, Tomar informed reporters, “Discussions were held in a cordial atmosphere where the union leaders presented their side and the government also gave its views. A few major points of concern among farmers have emerged after the four rounds of talks.”

The minister stated the federal government has at all times maintained that it’s totally dedicated to farmers’ welfare and can stay so. “There is no ego involved on the government’s side and we have been discussing each and every issue with the farmer unions with an open mind,” he stated.

Tomar additional stated farmers and their unions are anxious that the brand new legal guidelines will finish the APMC system. “The government will consider ways to strengthen the APMC framework and it becomes of greater use. As far as the new Acts are concerned, there are provisions for private mandis outside the purview of the APMC. Those private mandis would be set up and we will discuss how there could be a tax parity between these private ones and those set up under the APMC Act,” he stated.

We may even make sure that all merchants are registered for working outdoors the APMC mandi system, the minister stated. “The new Acts also have a provision that any dispute will go to SDM (Sub-Divisional Magistrate) court, but the unions want freedom for going to higher courts. The government has also agreed to discuss and consider this point with an open mind, as unions stressed a lot on this issue,” he stated. 

In the fourth spherical of conferences held with the Centre, farmer leaders additionally instructed the federal government to carry a particular session of the Parliament and sought the abolition of the three farm legal guidelines. “The farmer leaders suggested the government that a special session of the Parliament be called and the new farm laws to be abolished,” an official stated.

Union leaders, who got here out of the assembly venue shouting slogans, stated the talks remained deadlocked and a few of them threatened to boycott any additional conferences if no answer was discovered at Thursday’s assembly.

“Discussions are over from our side. Our leaders have said they will not attend further meetings if a solution is not given today by the government,” stated Pratibha Shinde, AIKSCC (All India Kishan Sangharsh Coordination Committee) working group member and president of Lok Sangharsh Morcha, which represents farmers of Maharashtra and Gujarat.

Another farmer chief Kulwant Singh Sandhu stated the federal government made many proposals together with on MSP and procurement system, which might be mentioned among the many farmer organisations on Friday, earlier than the subsequent assembly with the federal government on Saturday.

AIKSCC General Secretary Hannan Mollah stated the principle demand of the unions stays the repeal of the three acts and the federal government additionally listened to the 8-10 particular deficiencies identified by the farmer leaders. Mollah stated all farmer organisations would meet on Friday at 11 am to take a collective name for the subsequent spherical of talks with the federal government.

The authorities gave an in depth presentation on the three legal guidelines and asserted its intent in direction of the welfare of the farmers. However, union leaders rejected the federal government’s place. Besides Tomar, the federal government aspect included Railways, Food and Consumer Affairs, and Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal; and Minister of State for Commerce Som Parkash, who can be an MP from Punjab.

The 40 farmer leaders current on the assembly refused the lunch supplied by the federal government and most popular to eat the meals ferried in a van from the Singhu border, the place 1000’s of their colleagues are sitting in protest towards the brand new agriculture legal guidelines. They additionally didn’t settle for tea and water supplied to them in the course of the assembly, which started round mid-day.

The earlier spherical of talks had taken place on December 1 however had led to a stalemate even after three hours of debate as farmers’ teams rejected the federal government’s suggestion of a brand new committee to look into their points. The authorities had rejected the demand for repealing the legal guidelines and requested the farmers’ our bodies to determine particular points associated to the newly enacted Acts and submit these by December 2 for consideration and dialogue on Thursday.

Enacted in September, the legal guidelines have been offered by the federal government as main reforms within the agriculture sector by eradicating middlemen and permitting farmers to promote anyplace within the nation. However, the protesting farmers have been anxious that the brand new legal guidelines will get rid of the security cushion of a Minimum Support Price (MSP) and procurement system whereas rendering ineffective the mandi system that ensures earnings for varied stakeholders within the farm sector.

On December 2, agitating farmers had demanded that the Centre convene a particular session of Parliament and repeal the brand new farm legal guidelines as they threatened to dam roads in Delhi and “take more steps” if it failed to take action. During their marathon assembly on Thursday, farmers’ leaders informed the federal government to deal with resolving the problems as a substitute of attempting to be a superb host by providing lunch, Shinde stated.

“How can we have lunch offered by the government when our fellow farmers are sitting on roads,” stated Shinde, whose organisation is among the many 40 farmers’ teams engaged within the talks.

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Thousands of farmers have been tenting on the Singhu and Tikri borders of the nationwide capital for eight days as a part of their protest towards the legal guidelines. But protests have been persevering with for for much longer in different components, particularly in Punjab.