Farmers’ Protest: 'Don't Have Much Hope,' Say Farmers As They Gear Up For 9th Round of Talks With Centre | Top Developments

Farmers' Protest: Since a Supreme Court-appointed panel on farm laws is likely to hold its first meeting on January 19, the meeting on Friday between with the government and the unions may be the last one.

Farmers' Protest: The ongoing protests of farmers seeking repeal of the three contentious agrarian laws of the Centre has clocked about 51 days now and the Centre will be holding a ninth round of discussions with the farmer unions today, after eight such rounds failed to bring the farmers to a consensus. Talks between the government and the farmer union representatives will take place at Vigyan Bhavan in Delhi.

Here are the latest developments:

Don’t have much hopes: Farmers

Protesting farmer leaders on Thursday said they will attend the ninth round of talks with the government amid indication that it may be last such meeting with the Centre, but added that they don't have much hope as they will not settle for anything less than the repeal of the contentious farm laws.

Today could be the last meet between farmers and Centre:

Since a Supreme Court-appointed panel on farm laws is likely to hold its first meeting on January 19, the meeting on Friday between with the government and the unions may be the last one.

Don’t be on wrong side of history: Farmers to SC-appointed panel

Members of the committee appointed by the Supreme Court to resolve farm laws deadlock should follow the suit of Bhupinder Singh Mann and not be on the "wrong side of history", a farmers' union said here on Thursday.

Bhupinder Mann recuses himself from SC’s panel

Mann, the national president of Bharatiya Kisan Union, on Thursday expressed gratitude over his nomination into the four-member committee but recused himself saying he would give up any position to prevent farmers' interests from being compromised.

Hazare writes to PM; to launch hunger strike on farmers' issues in Delhi

Activist Anna Hazare on Thursday wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and reiterated his decision to launch "the last hunger strike" of his life on farmers' issues in Delhi by January end. The letter came as farmer unions are agitating on Delhi borders against the Centre's new farm laws. Speaking to reporters later, Hazare said the new farm laws do not conform to "democratic values" and people's participation is necessary in the drafting of legislations.

Nadda slams opposition parties over criticism of new farm laws; says they suggested reforms

BJP president J P Nadda on Thursday mounted a scathing attack on opposition parties over the new Central farm laws, saying though they had earlier promised agricultural reforms, they were now supporting those agitating against the Centre on the matter. The BJP chief's comments here came on a day when Congress president Rahul Gandhi in Madurai slammed the Centre over the contentious legislations, backing the farmers and saying that the union government will be "forced" to repeal the laws in the face of ryots' stiff resistance.

 Thousands of farmers are currently staying put at Delhi's borders with Haryana and Uttar Pradesh in protest against the Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020 and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020. The protesting farmers have expressed apprehension that these laws would pave the way for the dismantling of the minimum support price system, leaving them at the "mercy" of big corporations.