The eleventh round of talks between protesting farmer unions and three central ministers—Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar, Railways, Commerce and Food Minister Piyush Goyal and Minister of State for Commerce Som Parkash— on Friday failed break the nearly two-month-long deadlock on the three new agri laws.
According to media reports, the government told the farmers that it does not have an alternative offer to make to them than what was made during the 10th round of talks that was held on January 20. During the meeting on January 20, the government yielded some ground in its bid to end the farmers' protests. The Centre had offered to put on hold the three laws for 12-18 months and set up a joint committee to find solutions.
During Friday's meeting, the government offered to put the implementation of the farm laws on hold for two years and said the next round of meeting can take place only if farmer unions are ready to accept the proposal, Bhartiya Kisan Union spokesperson Rakesh Tikait said, reports news agency ANI. He further said the tractor rally on January 26 will take place as decided.
Surjeet Singh Phul, Punjab president of BKU Krantikari, said, "No date for the next meeting has been fixed by the government."
According to ANI, S.S. Pandher of Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee said, "The minister made us wait for three and a half hours. This is an insult to farmers. When he came, he asked us to consider the govt's proposal and & said that he is ending the process of meetings... The agitation will continue peacefully"
Tomar reportedly told the protesting farmers that government is ready for another meeting if farmers want to discuss proposal on suspending laws. Noting that there are no problems with the farm laws, the minister said the government agreed to suspend them out of respect for farmers.
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Thousands of farmers, mainly from Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh, are protesting at various border points of Delhi for over a month now against the three laws.
Farmer groups have alleged these laws will end the mandi and MSP procurement systems and leave the farmers at the mercy of big corporates, even as the government has rejected these apprehensions as misplaced.
On January 11, the Supreme Court had stayed the implementation of the three laws till further orders and appointed a four-member panel to resolve the impasse.
Bhartiya Kisan Union president Bhupinder Singh Mann had recused himself from the committee appointed by the apex court.
Shetkari Sanghatana (Maharashtra) president Anil Ghanwat and agriculture economists Pramod Kumar Joshi and Ashok Gulati, the other three members on the panel, started the consultation process with stakeholders on Thursday.
—With PTI inputs
