Next round of talks with farmers will take on December 3rd
New Delhi: The meeting between the three Union Minister and the agitating farmer representatives on Tuesday ends without any conclusion, the second round of talks will be held on December 3rd.
According to the sources “Now is not the time for a committee,” farmers’ representatives as saying at the meeting with three central ministers on Tuesday evening. More farmers from Punjab and Khaps from Haryana are making their way to the national capital, demanding that the laws be repealed. The farmers have said they will continue the protest if their demands are not accepted. Agriculture minister Narendra Tomar had suggested the formation of a committee, asking farmers to put down the names of their representatives who would be part of it, sources said. The committee, he said, should also have people from the government and agricultural experts to discuss the farm laws.
Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar, and two other Ministers are Piyush Goyal and Junior Industry Minister Som Prakash had discussed with the 35 member farmers team on their grievances. After the meeting the Agri Minister said that “We wanted a small group, but they (the farmers) said they will talk together. We don’t mind that. We would like them to end the protest and come for talks. But this depends on the farmers”. “We do not accept the Government’s proposal to set up a special committee. We demand that the Government cancel the laws related to agrarian reform. We are not going to back down even if the government uses force, our protest will continue,” Roop Singh, a leader of key farmers’ organisation BKU (Ekta Ugrahan).
On Tuesday morning, Union home minister Amit Shah had a meeting with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Railway Minister Piyush Goyal and Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar at the home of BJP Chief JP Nadda. This was the third high-level meeting in the last 48 hours. Thousands of farmers, who have braved water cannons, tear gas and police barricades, began their protest last week against the farm laws, aimed at doing away with middlemen and allowing them to sell produce anywhere in the country. Farmers say the laws will deprive them of the minimum prices fixed by the government and leave them at the mercy of corporates.