NEW DELHI, DEC 11
If the government wants to talk to farmer leaders that should be formally conveyed like in previous occasions, said Bharatiya Kisan Union leader Rakesh Tikait on Friday, asserting that anything less than the scrapping of the new agri laws won’t be accepted.
The government on Thursday asked farmer groups to consider its proposals for amending the Acts to address their concerns and said it was open to discussing its offer further whenever the unions want.
“They (government) should first tell us when and where they want to meet us as they did for previous formal talks. If they invite us for talks, we will discuss that with our coordination committee and then make a decision,” Tikait said.
The BKU leader said there was no question of returning home until the government repeals the three laws. Asked whether the government has sent any invite for further discussion, he said the farmer unions have not received anything as such.
“One thing is very clear that farmers will not accept anything less than the scrapping of new agriculture laws,” he said.
Farmers leaders on Thursday announced they would block railway tracks across the country if their demands were not met by the government and would announce a date for that soon.
However, Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar has expressed hope there would be a resolution soon.
“The government is keen and ready for further discussions with protesting farmers… To clear their apprehensions, we have sent our proposal to farmer unions.
“I want to urge them to fix a date for discussion as early as possible. If they have any issue, the government is ready for discussion,” he had said during an address to reporters along with Food, Railways and Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal.
The agriculture minister had also said it was not proper on the part of the farmer unions to announce the next stage of agitation when talks were continuing and urged them to return to the discussion table.
The All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee (AIKSCC) condemned Tomar for his comments and claimed it was the government which remains adamant on not repealing the laws.
In a statement, it remarked that the farmers’ organisations were ready for talks and have responded for every previous discussion proposed by the government.
Another farmer organisation – the All India Kisan Sabha – said, “AIKS rebuffs the allegation of Union agriculture minister Narendra Singh Tomar that the kisan organisations were wrong in intensifying struggle while the discussion was going on.”
It stated that the farmers’ struggle would be intensified in the coming days until their demands were met.
At least five rounds of formal talks have taken place between the Centre and representatives of farmers, mainly from Punjab and Haryana, protesting on various borders of the national capital for about two weeks, but the deadlock has continued with the unions sticking to their main demand for the repeal of the three contentious laws.
The sixth round of talks between the government and farm union leaders, which was scheduled for Wednesday morning, was cancelled.
Don’t test tolerance of farmers: Pawar tells Centre
Amid the ongoing protest by farmers against the Centre’s new agriculture laws, NCP chief Sharad Pawar on Friday asked the government not to test the tolerance of the cultivators.
Talking to reporters, the former Union agriculture minister also said that the protest at Delhi borders may spread elsewhere if no timely decision was taken by the Centre on the farmers” demands.
He maintained that the farm bills concerned were passed in a “hurried” manner in the Parliament despite the opposition parties calling for a detailed discussion on them.
Farmers from different states have been camping at Delhi’s Singhu, Tikri, Ghazipur and Chilla (Delhi-Noida) border points for nearly two weeks to demand a repeal of the farm laws enacted in September.
Farmers say these laws will eliminate the safety net of minimum support price (MSP) and do away with mandis that ensure earning. But the government says the MSP system will continue and the new laws will give farmers more options to sell their crop.
“Today, farmers have made the extreme demand for withdrawing the laws first and said the issue can be discussed later. The Centre’s position on the same, however, does not seem to be favourable. Hence, there are signs that the deadlock may continue for some more days,” Pawar said.
The veteran leader said that more people travelling in around 700 tractors joined the ongoing protest near Delhi border on Friday morning.
“The protest is restricted to Delhi border. But it cannot be ruled out that it may spread elsewhere too if no decision is taken in time.
“We insist the Government of India that the farmer is the ”annadata” (food provider) of the country, his tolerance should not be tested,” he added.
Pawar also refuted speculations made in a section of media on Thursday about him becoming the chairman of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA).
“It was false news. Do not run such false news,” he said in response to a query.
Pawar also criticised Union minister Raosaheb Danve over his “China and Pakistan behind farmers” protest” remark, saying that such comments should not be given importance.
“Some people are such that they do not have the sense of what should be said where and how. He had made such statements in the past too,” Pawar said.
