‘Won’t withdraw protest’: Farmers stick to resolve as talks yield little progress | Latest News India - Hindustan Times
close_game
close_game

‘Won’t withdraw protest’: Farmers stick to resolve as talks yield little progress

Hindustan Times, New Delhi | Byhindustantimes.com | Edited by Arpan Rai
Dec 30, 2020 08:51 PM IST

Marking a shade of progress, the government on Wednesday said consensus has been reached on two issues out of four after the sixth round of talks with the protesting farmers’ unions.

Firming up their resolve, the farmers’ unions protesting the three contentious farm laws on Wednesday said that they will not take back their movement and won’t form a committee to scrutinise the legislation as asked by the government. The remarks from a farm union representative came after nearly five hours long meet between the Centre and 40 farm unions at Vigyan Bhawan in the national capital.

Farmers congregate during the ongoing protest against the new farm laws, at Ghazipur (Delhi-UP border), near New Delhi, India on December 30, 2020. (Photo by Sanchit Khanna /Hindustan Times)
Farmers congregate during the ongoing protest against the new farm laws, at Ghazipur (Delhi-UP border), near New Delhi, India on December 30, 2020. (Photo by Sanchit Khanna /Hindustan Times)

Thousands of protesters, primarily from Punjab and Haryana, have been camping at borders around Delhi in the bitter cold asking for the rollback of three laws pushed for clearance by the government in September this year. The farmers have alleged that the laws will lead to corporate dominance of the farm sector and erode their incomes.

Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now.

“Talks were positive today. The government has been saying that we should end agitation and form a committee. But we didn’t listen to them. We won’t take back our movement. We won’t form any committee,” All India Kisan Sabha’s Punjab president Balkaran Singh Brar said after meeting with the government representatives.

Also read - Farmers’ protest: Consensus on two issues, says Tomar; next meeting on January 4

“We’ll discuss MSP in next meet,” Brar told news agency ANI.

Marking a shade of progress, the government on Wednesday said consensus has been reached on two issues out of four after the sixth round of talks with the protesting farmers’ unions.

The government and farm unions reached some common ground to resolve to protest farmers’ concerns over rise in power tariff and penalties for stubble burning, but the two sides remained deadlocked over the main contentious issues of the repeal of three farm laws and a legal guarantee for MSP.

The next meeting will be held on January 4, agriculture minister Narendra Singh Tomar said. The minister also said that the talks were held in a good environment and ended with a positive note.

Tomar said the union leaders kept insisting on the repeal of the three farm laws, but the government side tried to explain to them the benefits of the Acts and sought to know specific problems faced by the farmers.

On farmers’ demand for a legal guarantee for procurement at Minimum Support Price (MSP), the minister said the government has already said that it is ready to give a written assurance.

Also read: Centre proposes committee to review farm laws, rules out repeal

This meeting comes after a long gap as after the last meeting the situation resulted in a standoff with farmers being stern on their demand for a complete withdrawal of the laws and the Centre on not accepting it.

The meeting at Vigyan Bhawan in the national capital started around 2 pm and went on for over four hours. Though there was no definite answer to farmers’ demands, the environment on Wednesday was amicable as the leaders mingled with the central representatives during lunch and evening snack time.

(With inputs from PTI)

Unveiling Elections 2024: The Big Picture', a fresh segment in HT's talk show 'The Interview with Kumkum Chadha', where leaders across the political spectrum discuss the upcoming general elections. Watch now!

Get Current Updates on India News, Election 2024, Arvind Kejriwal News Live, Bihar Board 10th Result 2024 Live along with Latest News and Top Headlines from India and around the world.
SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Share this article
SHARE
Story Saved
Live Score
OPEN APP
Saved Articles
Following
My Reads
Sign out
New Delhi 0C
Thursday, March 28, 2024
Start 14 Days Free Trial Subscribe Now
Follow Us On