The eighth round of talks between the protesting farmers and the government on Friday failed to break the stalemate, as the farm union leaders continued to take the maximalist position of seeking the repeal of the three farm laws even when the Agriculture Minister was ready to discuss the laws clause by clause.
The government asked farmer unions to “give an option other than repealing” and the next round of talks is proposed for 15 January.
Ahead of the talks, the government had expressed hope of positive results from the meeting while the farmers threatened to intensify the stir if their demand to repeal three contentious farm laws is not fulfilled.
Farmer leader Gurbaksa Singh Barnala said that the farmers will intensify the stir and enter Delhi on the Republic Day if their demands are not met. “There is no way forward but to repeal the three laws,” he said.
Agriculture Minister Narendra Sigh Tomar, Consumer Affairs Minister Piyush Goyal and Minister of State for Commerce and Industries Som Parkash represented the government at the talks at the Vigyan Bhavan, while Agriculture Secretary Sanjay Agarwal and other Ministry officials were also present.
Talking to reporters after the meeting held at Vigyan Bhavan here, Tomar hoped that a solution will be found in the next meeting on 15 January. “Discussion on the laws was taken up but no decision could be made. The government said that if farmer unions give an option other than repealing, we will consider it. But no option could be presented, so the meeting concluded. The next meeting will be held at 12 noon on 15 January and I hope that a solution will come out in that meeting,” Tomar said.
He said that many people in the country are in favour of laws but protesters believe that these laws should be withdrawn. “The government has said time and again that if farmer unions give options other than repealing of laws, we are always ready for the talk. People who are protesting believe that these laws should be withdrawn. There are many people in the country who are in favour of these laws. Those supporting the protest are of the view that the laws be repealed and there are many others who support the laws,” he said.
“The government is continuously talking to the unions who want these laws be repealed. We also give an appointment to those supporting the laws, when they request us,” he added.
After the meeting, Hannan Mollah, general secretary, All India Kisan Sabha, said that the scheduled ‘parade’ by farmers on the Republic Day will go on as planned as the talks have “failed to give any result”. He said there was a heated discussion. “There was a heated discussion. We said we do not want anything other than the repeal of laws. We won’t go to any court. The laws should be repealed or we will continue to fight. Our parade on January 26 will go on as planned,” he said.
Sources said there was a heated argument on next date with the farmers stating that they “had not come for taking dates”.
On January 2, Samyukt Kisan Morcha, a joint front of almost 40 farmer organisations threatened that farmers will march into Delhi on January 26 with their tractors, trolleys and other vehicles if their demands are not met. They said a “farmers’ republic parade” will take place after the official parade.
Farmers have been protesting at different borders of the national capital since November 26 against the three newly enacted farm laws—Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020, and the Es