Farmer leader Rakesh Tikait on Sunday reiterated that the protestors will not return home until the three new agriculture laws are withdrawn. On the other hand, the government said that it was willing to resume talks with farmer bodies to resolve the deadlock, however claiming that the agitation was limited to only certain areas, PTI reported.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to speak on the matter in the Rajya Sabha on Monday. The prime minister will reply to the Motion of Thanks on the president’s address in the Budget session of the Parliament.
Earlier on Sunday, addressing a “Kisan Mahapanchayat (farmers’ conclave)” at Charkhi Dadri town in Haryana, Tikait asserted that the protest was gaining strength and will not fail, PTI reported. “This is a people’s movement, this will not fail,” he said. Ruling out any possibility of “ghar wapasi” (returning home), Tikait also demanded the release of farmers who have been arrested during the protests, according to The Tribune.
Tikait also appreciated the role of the khap panchayats for their support to the protests. Several khap panchayat leaders, including Sombir Sangwan, who in December withdrew his support to the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Haryana government, were present at the gathering.
Ready to resume discussions, says Centre
Union minister Piyush Goyal on Sunday said that the government was ready to resume discussions with farmer bodies on the impasse, but pointed out that the protestors have not come up with any “concrete suggestions” so far, reported the Hindustan Times.
Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar also put forth the government’s willingness for the talks, while speaking to reporters in Madhya Pradesh’s Gwalior city, PTI reported. He however claimed that the protests were limited and accused the Congress of instigating farmers.
“The farmers’ agitation is limited to a certain area,” Tomar said. “The government is ready for talks with the protesting farmers, and I hope we will be able to break the deadlock very soon.”
Tens of thousands of farmers have been camping out on the outskirts of Delhi for over two months, with ten rounds of talks between the government and farmers’ groups failing to resolve the deadlock. Farmers’ around-the-clock sit-ins in cold weather have already led to several deaths among them. The farmers believe that the new laws undermine their livelihood and open the path for the corporate sector to dominate agricultural.
The government, on the other hand, maintains that the new laws will give farmers more options in selling their produce, lead to better pricing, and free them from unfair monopolies. The law passed in September are meant to overhaul antiquated procurement procedures and open up the market, the government has claimed.
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