Farmers' Protest: In Round 12 Meet, Govt Hardens Stand; Says Next Meets Only If Farmers Consider 1.5 Yrs Stay Proposal

During the meeting, farmers also questioned the government's credibility, alleging it was difficult to believe that they will keep their word on putting the laws on hold for 18 months.

farmers

New Delhi: In their 12th meeting over the ongoing deadlock on three contentious agri laws, the farmer unions reiterate their demand of 'complete repeal' repeal of the newly passed legislation to the government. However, the Centre urged the protesting farmers to reconsider its proposal of putting the Acts on temprorary hold for 12-18 months. The twelfth round of talks between the Centre and farmer unions ended at Vigyan Bhavan in the national capital.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Since then, farmer leaders have been waiting for the minister to return to the meeting: Shiv Kumar Kakka, National President, Rashtriya Kisan Mazdoor Mahasangh <a href="https://t.co/YSqmkN4Cf1" rel='nofollow'>https://t.co/YSqmkN4Cf1</a></p>&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1352582561394872320?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" rel='nofollow'>January 22, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

"During the meeting, the government offered to put the implementation of the farm laws on hold for two years and said that the next round of meeting can take place only if farmer unions are ready to accept the proposal," Rakesh Tikait, Spokesperson, Bhartiya Kisan Union told reporters after the meeting.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">The minister made us wait for three &amp; a half hours. This is an insult to farmers. When he came, he asked us to consider the govt&#39;s proposal &amp; said that he is ending the process of meetings... The agitation will continue peacefully: SS Pandher, Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee <a href="https://t.co/J1ppwGfHCn" rel='nofollow'>pic.twitter.com/J1ppwGfHCn</a></p>&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1352587772821835777?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" rel='nofollow'>January 22, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

"We told the government that we will not agree to anything other than the repeal of the laws. But the minister asked us to discuss separately again and rethink on the matter and convey the decision," farmer leader Darshan Pal told PTI during a break after the first session.

BKU leader Rakesh Tikait said: "We conveyed our position clearly to the government that we want a repeal of the laws and not a suspension. The minister (Narendra Singh Tomar) asked us to reconsider our decision."

Tikait said the farmer leaders are discussing internally on this issue. The eleventh round of talks between protesting farmer unions and three central ministers began at around 1 pm, but not much headway was visible as the meeting once again ended inconclusively.

Some leaders had apprehensions that the movement will lose its momentum once the farmers go away from Delhi borders. During the meeting, farmers also questioned the government's credibility, alleging it was difficult to believe that they will keep their word on putting the laws on hold for 18 months.

Along with Union Agriculture Minister Tomar, Railways, Commerce and Food Minister Piyush Goyal and Minister of State for Commerce Som Parkash are also participating in the talks with representatives of 41 farmer unions. 

Thousands of farmers, mainly from Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh, are protesting at various border points of Delhi for over a month now against the three laws. Farmer groups have alleged these laws will end the mandi and MSP procurement systems and leave the farmers at the mercy of big corporates, even as the government has rejected these apprehensions as misplaced.