The Centre is urged by farm unions to avert ‘parallel talks’.
Key sentence:
- The group said in a letter to Minister of Agriculture Narendra Singh Tomar: “Please do not hold parallel talks.
- Discussion and debate are the only way to find a solution,’ stated Farm Minister Tomar after consulting a group of farmers on Tuesday.
- After a meeting with home minister Amit Shah, farmers agreed to call off talks on December 8, citing a stalemate.
- The government released a written proposal to amend some provisions of the laws for greater supervision of deregulated markets.
A forum of farm unions leading the protests against three agricultural laws, the Samyukt Kisan Morcha called on the government to not hold parallel talks with farmers as well as avoid vilifying farmers as anti-national elements.
As the letter stated:
The group said in a letter to Minister of Agriculture Narendra Singh Tomar: “Please do not hold parallel talks. We had already stated that your amendment plans are not agreeable to us. The letter also requested the government not to distribute information that was inaccurate.
As Farm Minister Tomar stated:
The government is accessible to all types of farmers, including demonstrators, to speak to them. Discussion and debate are the only way to find a solution,’ stated Farm Minister Tomar after consulting a group of farmers on Tuesday. So far, the government has met with four farmers’ delegations that say they respect farm laws.
Samyukt Kisan Morcha’s leader Avik Saha stated:
“The PM made an erroneous claim yesterday that milk production was promoted by the non-governmental private sector, while it was the government-supported cooperative sector that supported milk farmers, as well as later the entrance of the private sector, pressured the milk sector,” said Avik Saha, Samyukt Kisan Morcha’s leader.
Three Law passed by Government in September:
The three laws introduced by the government in September, which allow agribusinesses to trade with minimal control, allow traders to store huge quantities of food commodities for the economy of scale as well as lay down new contract farming laws, set off a major farmers’ revolt.
The further letter stated:
“PM {Narendra} Modi’s document Placing Farmers First the laws “open avenues for agribusiness” as well as it is the corporations and MNCs that are helping these laws and government, not the farmers,” stated the letter.
Farmers say the new regulations benefit multinational companies to which they will lose business and eventually end the minimum pricing structure set by the state. After a meeting with home minister Amit Shah, farmers agreed to call off talks on December 8, citing a stalemate.
A written proposal by Government:
On December 9, the government released a written proposal to amend some provisions of the laws for greater supervision of deregulated markets, prohibiting farmers from paying fines for pollution-causing stubble burning and promising to continue to provide subsidized power to farmers instead of direct cash transfers. However, farm unions claim they will not call off the protest until the laws are removed.
