Farmers' Protest : Stalemate continues as Centre rules out repeal of agri-reform laws; next meeting on January 15

Farmers, most of them from Punjab and Haryana, want the new agri farm laws scrapped.

The eighth round of talks between the farmers and the government held on January 8 failed to end the impasse yet again as the Centre ruled out any possibility of repealing the three agri-reform laws.

While the government reiterated that it was ready for a clause-by-clause discussion on the laws, farmers' union leaders were adamant on their demand of repealing all the three laws which they said was the key reason for the ongoing protests that started in November last year.

"Discussion on the laws was taken up, but no decision could be made. The government urged that if farmer unions give an option other than repealing, we'll consider it. But no option could be presented, so the meeting was concluded," Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar told reporters after the meeting.

The next round of meeting will be held on January 15. Tomar said he was hopeful that the deadlock will end in the next meeting. The government also suggested farmers to form an informal group with members from both the sides to find a solution.

"Those supporting the protest are of the view that the laws be repealed and there are many others who support the laws. The government is continuously talking to the unions who want these laws be repealed. We also give appointment to those supporting the laws, when they request us," the minister said.

There was a heated discussion, we said we don't want anything other than the repeal of laws. We won't go to any court, this (repeal) will either be done or we'll continue to fight

- farmer union leader

"There was a heated discussion, we said we don't want anything other than the repeal of laws. We won't go to any court, this (repeal) will either be done or we'll continue to fight. Our parade on January 26 will go on as planned," Hannan Mollah, General Secretary, All India Kisan Sabha, said.

During the meeting that began at 2:45 pm in Vigyan Bhawan, farmers carried placards reading, "Either we will die or win" and "Qanoon wapas toh hum ghar wapas (repeal farm laws, we will return home)".

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Farmer leader Balbir Singh Rajewal who lead the dialogue from farmers' unions reportedly told Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar to repeal the laws as the Centre had right to frame laws in agricultural sector. Railway Minister Piyush Goyal was also present in the meeting representing the government.

Tomar, who had met Union Home Minister Amit Shah before the talks, had outrightly rejected farmers' demand to repeal the laws. The government told farmers that it would only repeal laws if the Supreme Court declares them illegal. Farmers have also refused to discuss any amendments to the laws.

The Supreme Court of India will hear petitions against farm reform laws on January 11. Earlier, the seventh round of talks held on January 4 had remained inconclusive, too.

The two sides had arrived at some common ground in the sixth round of talks held on December 30 with the government agreeing on two of the four demands of farmers – removing stubble burning penalty on farmers and withdrawing provisions in the draft Electricity Amendment Bill, 2020, which intend to change the mode of subsidy payment to farmers.

The Samyukt Kisan Union, the umbrella body of farmers’ unions protesting on Delhi borders, has threatened that the farmers will lead a tractor parade into Delhi, and across country, on January 26, if the remaining two demands are not met.

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.

For 44 days now, thousands of farmers, primarily from Punjab and Haryana, have been camping at several Delhi border points, demanding repealing the laws, and a legal guarantee on minimum support prices for their crops, among other things.

READ: Govt ready to consider any proposal apart form repeal of three farm laws, says Narendra Tomar

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 Centre has projected these farm laws as major agriculture reforms aimed at helping farmers and increasing their income, but the protesting unions fear that the new legislation has left them at the mercy of big corporates by weakening the MSP and mandi systems.

Read more about Moneycontrol's coverage on Farmers' Protest here