The government of India on Monday invited 40 protesting farmer unions for the next round of talks on December 30 on all relevant issues to find a 'logical solution' to the current impasse over the three new farm laws. The government's invite followed a proposal made by unions last week to hold the talks on December 29. In a letter to the unions, Agriculture Secretary Sanjay Aggarwal has invited them for talks at 2 pm on December 30 at Vigyan Bhavan in Delhi. So far, five rounds of formal talks held between the Centre and 40 protesting farmer unions remained inconclusive.
Taking note of the unions' offer to resume talks, Aggarwal said, 'The government is also committed to finding a logical solution on all relevant issues with a clear intention and an open mind.' It's been over a month now that thousands of farmers, especially from Punjab, Haryana and parts of Uttar Pradesh, are camping at Delhi borders seeking repeal of the three farm laws. They have threatened to intensify their stir in the coming days if their demands are not fulfilled.
Unions set four conditions
The farm unions have set four points before agreeing to resume talks with the Centre. The specific points include modalities to repeal the new farm laws and a legal guarantee for higher minimum support price (MSP). Underlining these top two issues, a ‘conditional’ proposal was sent to the Centre. Since the unions in their letter set out the outstanding issues according to the “sequence” proposed by them - repeal of laws and MSP guarantee are the first and second - officials in the ministry feel the formulation can complicate negotiations with even less prickly matters getting stuck with the deal breakers.
Unions threaten tractor rally
Though the agriculture ministry has agreed on a wide-ranging discussion, it has indicated its unwillingness to consider scrapping the laws it says benefit a large majority of farmers. The insistence of the agitating farmers that the laws be rolled back has been the central hurdle since talks began on October 13. The other two points which the unions want to be added are keeping farmers outside the ambit of penalty provision on stubble burning in the new ordinance on air quality management in Delhi-NCR and changes in the proposed Electricity Amendment Bill to protect the interests of farmers. These are not a sticking point, as the agriculture ministry in its last letter to farm unions on December 24 agreed to discuss additional points and has also hinted that the demands can be met.
“If you are sincere about respectfully listening to the farmers, as you say in your letter, the government must not indulge in misinformation about the previous meetings. The campaign launched by the entire state machinery to defame and malign the farmers’ movement must stop forthwith,” said the letter, read by leader of Swaraj India and Jai Kisan Andolan Yogendra Yadav, at a joint press conference.
The unions warned that if the next round of talks also end in a stalemate, they will hold a massive tractor trolley march on December 30. The groups urged farm activists to reach Singhu border and then march to Tikri and then to Shahjahanpur on the KMP expressway.
PM reaches out to protesting farmers
In yet another outreach to the Sikh community, Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the last episode of this year’s “Mann ki Baat” recalled sacrifices made by the Sikh Gurus and their families, referring to the martydom of Guru Gobind Singh's sons Zorawar and Fateh Singh who were walled alive by the Mughals. The Sikh community has played a vital role in preserving the fabric of the country and resisted attempts of invaders who wanted the Gurus and their families to renounce their faith, the Prime Minister said, referring to the Mughal rulers -without naming them - as tyrants and tormentors.
Paying homage to Guru Gobind Singh's sons, the Prime Minister said they had held onto their faith even as they saw death closing in on them. This is the third time Modi recalled the Sikh Gurus in recent speeches having referred to Guru Gobind Singh's message of dialogue at all times and then visiting Gurudwara Rakabganj in central Delhi to commemorate the matrydom of Guru Tegh Bahadur who was cremated there. His Mann Ki Baat referred to the visit and showed footage of his praying there.
Modi also recalled Guru Gobind Singh’s mother Mata Gujari, who too had attained martyrdom with her grandchildren. The Prime Minister's references to the 10th Guru, who militarised his community and had raised Khalsa warriors, also saw him emphasising December 27 be commemorated as "balidan (sacrifice) day” to honour the Sikh religious leader's two sons.
Hold new farm laws: SC to govt
The Supreme Court has asked the Centre to consider deferring implementation of the contentious farm laws as a step towards resumption of dialogue with agri unions. Attorney general K K Venugopal’s immediate response was, “That (deferring) is not possible”. When the apex court bench said the government could consider this to help resume stalled talks, he relented and said he would discuss with the Centre. However, solicitor general Tushar Mehta vehemently said deferment was out of question. The bench told the SG not to put a spoke when the AG had already said he would discuss with the government and respond.
The court also observed the farmers’ constitutional right to protest could not impede citizens’ right to free movement. The suggestion of deferment came towards the end of an hour-long hearing before a bench of Chief Justice S A Bobde and Justices A S Bopanna and V Ramasubramanian, where any forward movement on the vexed issue became a challenge as none of the important protesting farmer unions were represented.
In its comments, the court held up the farm unions’ right to protest but also noted that talks were needed or else the protest could drag on without results. It also noted that the right to protest should not infringe upon the right of other citizens to go about their daily lives and businesses.
