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Farmers' Protest News Highlights: Farmers' protest against the Centre's new farm legislation has entered 6th day. More protesters converged near Delhi borders as the stir intensified, prompting the Delhi Police to beef up security and place concrete barriers at all entry points from Haryana and Uttar Pradesh. Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar invited leaders of farmer unions for talks today, instead of December 30. The meeting is presently underway at Vigyan Bhawan in Delhi. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has accused the Opposition parties of misleading farmers and "playing tricks". He asserted that the new agriculture laws will provide new options to sell for more and also safeguards. "The farmers are being deceived on these historic agriculture reform laws by the same people who have misled them for decades," he said, in an apparent reference to parties that are supporting the protest. Thousands of farmers stayed put at various Delhi border points for the 5th consecutive day on Monday protesting the new farm laws, which they fear will dismantle the minimum support price system and corporatise farming. Stay tuned to this LIVE blog for all the latest updates on farmers' protest:
This LIVE blog session has concluded. Stay tuned to Moneycontrol for the latest news, views and updates.
The government has asked farmers'bodies to identify specific issues related to the three new farm laws and submit those by December 2 for consideration and discussion in the next round of talks on Thursday, an official statement said after a nearly three-hour-long meeting remained inconclusive.
Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar, Railways and Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal, and Minister of State for Commerce and Industries Som Prakash on Tuesday interacted with the representatives of 35 farmers organisations, mainly from Punjab.
During the meeting at Vigyan Bhawan here, the ministers explained the benefits of farm reform acts to the representatives of the farmers'' Unions. Various issues related to these laws were discussed at length and talks were held in a cordial atmosphere, the agriculture ministry said in its statement.
As a meeting with representatives of protesting farmers remained inconclusive, Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar said on December 1 they have been asked to come with specific issues in the new farm laws and the government is ready to discuss and address their concerns.
The government had called a meeting with 35 representatives of agitating farmers at Vigyan Bhawan hereafter large-scale protests by various farmer groups, including from Punjab and Haryana, entered its sixth day on various borders of the national capital.
"We had a detailed discussion. We will again meet on December 3. We suggested to them to form a small committee, but they said they all will be present in the meeting. So, we agreed to that," Tomar told PTI after the meeting.
Train services in Punjab, which were suspended for almost two months due to the agitation against the three farm bills, have normalised except for a 32-km stretch, Chairman Railway Board VK Yadav said December 1.
Train operations in Punjab were severely affected for almost two months after farmers protesting against the three new farm laws sat on railway tracks and on station premises, refusing to let trains ply.
Students from various universities in Delhi on Decmeber 1 joined the farmers protesting at Singhu and Tikri borders and expressed solidarity with them in their fight against the Centre’s new farm laws.
The protesters part of a student outfit, Krantikari Yuva Sangathan (KYS), demanded that three farm legislations should be revoked unconditionally and the BJP government at the Centre should apologise to the people for introducing such "anti-people laws".
"We have launched agitations in different states in solidarity with the on-going movement and to bring to the fore the issues being faced especially by the most exploited section -- agricultural workers in the farming sector.
A group of over one hundred farmers protesting against the Centre''s farm laws on decmber 1 showed black flags to Union minister Rattan Lal Kataria in Jandli village adjoining Ambala city. The Union minister of state for Jal Shakti was accompanied by the BJP MLA from Ambala city, Aseem Goel, and some local party leaders.
Kataria, who is an MP from Ambala, had come to Jandli village to lay the foundation stone of an underbridge on the Ambala-Rajpura rail section.
The farmers, most of them youths, waved black flags outside the venue while Kataria was speaking. They also raised anti-government slogans and asked the minister and other BJP leaders to go back.
Chanda Singh, member of farmers’ delegation who met Union agriculture minister Narendra Singh Tomar in Delhi on Decmeber 1 said, “Our movement will continue and they will definitely take back something from the govt, be it bullets or peaceful solution.”
Singh added that the delegation will come for more discussions with the government again, reported news agency ANI.
"The meeting was good and we have decided that the talks will be held on December 3. We wanted a small group to be constituted but farmers' leaders wanted that the talks should be held with everyone, we do not have problem with it," said Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar.
The agriculte minister further added, "We appeal to the farmers to suspend the protests and come for the talks. However, this decision depends on farmers' unions and farmers."
The BJP's ruling coalition partner in Haryana, the Jannayak Janata Party, on Decmber 1 suggested that the Centre should give a written assurance to farmers that the minimum support price system will continue.
The remark by JJP president Ajay Chautala comes on the day independent MLA Sombir Sangwan withdrew support to the BJP-led government in the state, also expressing support for the farmers against the new farm laws.
About the on-going farmers'protest in north India, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee claimed that no other political party supported the BJP on the issue of farm laws but the saffron party is adamant on bulldozing it.
Rajasthan Chief MinisterAshokGehlotonDecmber1said that the central government's decision to invite farmer unions for talks was a "step in the right direction", but added that it was taken too late. "Centre's invitation to farmer unions for talks is a step in the right direction but taken too late. There is a growing concern not only in the country but in other countries as well, where a sizable number of Persons of Indian Origin live, regarding protest of farmers in India," tweetedGehlot.
Government is giving a detailed presentation to the farmers' leaders on Minimum Support Price (MSP) and Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) Act. The meeting is underway at Vigyan Bhawan in Delhi. Union Ministers Narendra Singh Tomar and Piyush Goyal are present.
Ajay Chautala, Jannayak Janta Party (JJP) founder on farmers’ protest asks what is the problem in including Minimum Support Price (MSP) in the bill if the government leaders are giving statementsthat they will continue MSP, reports ANI.
