Farmers to stay put, hold off tractor rally until next round of talks

Farmers camping on the Delhi-Jaipur highway at Jaisinghpur Khera in protest of the new farm laws on Wednesday said that they will continue with their agitation and not leave until their demands are met even as cold wave conditions intensified over the last two days. Farmer leaders also said that a tractor rally that was scheduled to take place on Wednesday had been postponed in view of the sixth round of talks between farmers and the government.

Farmers from Rajasthan, Haryana, Gujarat and Maharashtra have been protesting at Jaisinghpur Khera, located near Shahjahanpur in Alwar district, at the Rajasthan-Haryana border, for the past 18 days. They seek to join the farmers’ agitation in Delhi but have been restricted at the Haryana border by the Rewari Police. Farmers from across the country have been protesting against the three new farm laws that were passed by the Centre in September this year. They fear that the new laws will put them at the mercy of corporations and put an end to the minimum support price (MSP) for important crops.

“Despite the dipping temperatures, farmers are continuing their agitation. We will not withdraw from here till our demands are met. Farmers will be spending New Year’s Eve at the border. A tractor rally had been planned for December 30 but it has been deferred in view of the talks with the government. We have been getting support from hordes of people who are joining us and our agitation will continue till the laws are not repealed,” said Sanjay Madhav, member of Sanyukt Kisan Morcha and the state convener of the All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee in Rajasthan.

Amra Ram, the national vice-president of All India Kisan Sabha and former CPI (M) MLA, said that the movement would continue under the leadership of the farmers and will intensify in the coming days if the government doesn’t accept their demands. “The three black laws are akin to a death warrant for farmers. Farmers are clear about this and will not back down despite attempts by the government and media to divide the agitation. The union of farm leaders will continue to guide the agitation. We will abide by the instructions of the farmers’ union,” said Ram.

On Wednesday, Swaraj Abhiyan president Yogendra Yadav also spoke to farmers about the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act 2020. Yadav said that the Act would benefit corporations and big industrialists, whereas smaller farmers would suffer.