The protesting farmers will hold their eighth round of talks with the government on January 8 amid the government's ruling out any possibility of repealing the three agri-reform laws.
The last round of talks on January 4 failed to end the impasse and the farmers, adamant on their demand, have threatened to intensify the stir and enter Delhi on Republic Day if their demands are not met.
“There is no question of repealing the laws. We have made these laws after a lot of homework keeping the farmers’ interest in mind. We are with them, if they are ready for discussions on amendments in the laws,” Kailash Choudhary, union minister of state for agriculture told Economic Times on January 7.
READ: Govt ready to consider any proposal apart form repeal of three farm laws, says Narendra Tomar
Thousands of farmers staged a tractor march from their camps on Delhi’s borders to converge on the Kundli-Manesar-Palwal expressway on January 7, ahead of a planned march to the Capital on Republic Day.
Sources said the government is working on a proposal to make the three laws optional for states giving options to states that do not want to implement them.
“There are media reports doing the rounds that the government has formulated a new proposal. There is no such thing,” said Yogendra Yadav, president Swaraj India.
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In the seventh round of talks on January 4, the farmers insisted on repealing the three laws enacted in September last year, the government fixed another date for the meeting on January 8
For 44 days now, thousands of farmers, primarily from Punjab and Haryana, have been camping at several Delhi border points, demanding repeal of the laws, and a legal guarantee on minimum support prices for their crops, among other things.
Farmers have threatened that, if their demands were not met, they would march in their tractors at Rajpath during the Republic Day parade
In the seven round of talks between the farmers’ unions and the government so far, two of the four demands have been met with. The farmers, however, insist that the protest would continue unless the farm reform laws are repealed.
The Supreme Court of India will hear petitions against farm reform laws on January 11.
Also Read: Cancellation of UK PM visit our victory, govt's 'defeat': Farmer unions
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