Finance
By: Shree1news, 29 DEC 2020
The Centre on Monday invited 40 protesting farmer unions for the subsequent round of talks on December 30 on all related points to discover a “logical solution” with “open mind” to the extended impasse over the three new agri laws.
The invite for the resumption of the stalled talks got here following a proposal made by the unions on Saturday to carry the sixth round on December 29 even as Prime Minister Narendra Modi asserted his government will proceed to work to strengthen farmers and agri sector with “full dedication.”
The unions have agreed “in-principle” to join the talks however insisted the agenda of the meeting should include discussing modalities for repealing the three legislations enacted in September which have remained the main demand.
As the number of farmers agitating at the protest epicentre Singhu border point in Delhi since November 28 swelled with new protesters joining the stir, Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar mentioned a “wall of lies” has been spread in a “planned method” amongst farmers towards the agri laws, however it is not going to last long and the protesters will quickly realise the truth. Tomar also mentioned he’s hopeful of an early solution to the deadlock.
In a letter to the farmer unions, Agriculture Secretary Sanjay Aggarwal invited them for the talks at 2 pm on Wednesday at Vigyan Bhavan within the national capital. The final formal assembly passed off on December 5, through which union leaders had demanded a clear ‘yes or no’ answer from the government for the repeal of the three farm laws.
Paying attention to the unions’ offer to resume talks, Aggarwal mentioned, “The government can also be committed to finding a logical answer on all related points with a clear intention and an open thoughts.”
With regard to the proposed agenda by the unions for the meeting, the Secretary mentioned an in depth discussion will take place on the three farm laws, Minimum Support Price(MSP) procurement system in addition to Electricity Amendment bill and ordinance to sort out air pollution in and around Delhi/National Capital Region(NCR).
Abhimanyu Kohar, a member of the Samyukt Kisan Morcha — an umbrella body of 40 unions protesting towards the contentious legislations — mentioned the farmers have agreed to go for the meeting on the date proposed by the Centre.
“In our letter sent to the government on December 26, we had clearly talked about that repeal of three farm laws and legal guarantee for MSP should be a part of the agenda for fresh talks, however despite this, the government in letter today has not talked about any specific agenda,” Kohar informed PTI.
“But, we have agreed in-principle to hold talks with the government.”
The All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee (AIKSCC) in a statement mentioned the protesting farmers want the meeting to include 4 specific agendas including “modalities to be adopted for the repeal of the three Central farm Acts”.
However, the government has used “vague and unspecific language”, indicating its willingness to discuss the full agenda items proposed by farmers, it alleged.
In his address through video conferencing after he flagged off the 100th run of the Kisan Rail service throughout the nation between Sangola in Maharashtra and Shalimar in West Bengal, Prime Minister Modi mentioned his government has undertaken historic reforms within the farm sector to boost agriculture and strengthen farmers.
Modi mentioned his government’s policies are clear and intentions clear in reforming the agriculture sector.
“We will carry on marching on the path of strengthening Indian agriculture and Kisan with full dedication,” he mentioned. Modi didn’t directly refer to the new farm laws, however he has typically asserted they’re within the pursuits of farmers and accused opposition parties of misleading them.
The ‘Kisan Rail’, a service started by his government, will help small and marginal farmers, who account for over 80 per cent of the peasantry, in supplying their produce to far-off markets, the prime minister mentioned, adding {that a} big demand for its services led to a rise in its frequency.
This will also help enhance the revenue of farmers, he mentioned.
That is also a testimony to the fact that how keen the farmers are for new possibilities, the prime minister mentioned.
The government has been working to boost supply chain, cold storage facilities and bringing about worth addition to farmers’ produce to help them, he added.
So far, 5 rounds of formal talks have remained inconclusive. The last round of was held on December 5, whereas the sixth round originally scheduled for December 9 was called off after an informal meeting of Home Minister Amit Shah with some union leaders did not yield a breakthrough.
The government had, however, followed up Shah’s meeting with a draft proposal sent to the unions through which it had advised 7-8 amendments to the new laws and written assurance on the MSP procurement system.
The date given by the government for the next round of talks additionally coincides with the day when the unions have additionally decided to hold a tractor march from Singhu Border and Tikri Border to the Kundli-Manesar-Palwal (KMP).
Thousands of farmers, especially from Punjab, Haryana and parts of Uttar Pradesh, camping at Delhi border factors have threatened to intensify their stir within the coming days if their demands are not fulfilled.
The government has offered the new laws as major agriculture reforms aimed toward helping farmers and increasing their revenue, however the protesting unions concern these Acts have left them on the mercy of big corporates by weakening MSP and mandi systems.
Agriculture Minister Tomar said he he remains hopeful to find an early solution to finish the impasse.
“Some way out will emerge and we will reach towards the answer. Everyone knows that the wall of lies isn’t strong. Truth is fact. There’s going to be a time when people will begin accepting the truth,” Tomar mentioned addressing a virtual event organised by Confederation of NGOs of Rural India (CNRI).
At another event, Tomar mentioned former prime minister Manmohan Singh and the then agriculture minister Sharad Pawar wanted to bring farm reforms during the UPA regime, however couldn’t implement them due to “political pressure”.
Tomar additionally asserted the Modi government is not going to take any decisions detrimental to the poor and farmers.
The minister was addressing representatives of 11 farmer organisations from Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Haryana, Maharashtra, Jammu and Kashmir who had come to increase assist for the three farm laws.
Pawar, the NCP supremo, in the meantime said the Centre should take the farmers’ agitation “very seriously” and there needs to be a dialogue between the two sides.
Pawar mentioned farmers are protesting on road in shivering cold and it’s a matter of concern. He was speaking to reporters in Delhi after meeting CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury.
Niti Aayog Vice Chairman Rajiv Kumar lamented that false narratives in regards to the new farm laws are doing significant harm to the interest of farmers in addition to the economy in general.
He also emphasised that continued negotiations with protesting farmers is of course the way ahead.
“Any argument that these measures (the Centre’s new farm laws) will open the farmers for exploitation by massive corporates is completely false as a result of the government has assured MSP to all the farmers on a range of crops,” he advised PTI in an interview.
Source: PTI
