No light after four rounds of talks.

Talks with farmers fail for 4th time; govt offers changes, no scrapping laws

Farmer leaders refuse govt’s lunch offer at talks; next round of Dec 5

Agency Report | New Delhi/Chandigarh | 3 December, 2020 | 11:00 PM

The fourth round of talks between the government and leaders of nearly 40 farmer unions remained inconclusive on Thursday even as the crowd of protesters opposed to the new farm law swelled at Delhi borders. There is, however, the hope of a breakthrough in the next round of talks scheduled for December 5, Saturday. It seems the Centre is not opposed to providing a written assurance on the MSP, which the farmers fear will be phased out under the three farm laws passed in September, through an executive order or similar mechanism. The government has also reportedly expressed willingness to revisit the laws that penalise farmers for stubble burning and those pertaining to electricity subsidy laws. The only sticking point seems to be the farmers’ insistence on completely repealing the three farm laws they say will leave them at the mercy of private buyers.

The over seven-hour long talks between the representatives of the farmers’ bodies and the Union government ended without any breakthrough on Thursday and the next round of talks has been scheduled for December 5. As per sources, the farmers have given their suggestions to the government in writing.

Earlier in the day, a group of more than 34 farmer leaders put out a five-point set of demands that seek to frame a specific law on minimum support price (MSP) and end the punishment provision for stubble burning, during the fourth round of talks with the Central government on Thursday.

In the written five-point set of demands, one of the key demands is repealing the three contentious farm laws passed in September during the Monsoon Session of the Parliament. It also raised objections about the upcoming Electricity (Amendment) Act, 2020.

The farmers emphasised that the provision to register a case for stubble burning should be ended, and asked why the government wasn’t ready to give them “written assurance” on MSP despite its earlier statements that MSP will continue.

The farmers’ union representatives emphasised that a new law on MSP be framed in a special session of Parliament, demanding that it must guarantee them MSP, not just now, but in the future as well.
The farmer leaders said: “Let us assume that MSP will continue but the procurement would stop. The MSP will have no meaning then.”

The farmers’ union representatives said that the government said the three farm laws were brought in keeping the interests of the farmers in mind. However, they had never kept these in mind. The farmers feel the farm laws have been passed to benefit big businesses and corporate houses.

The group of 34 farmer union leaders also set up a separate food stall in Vigyan Bhawan– the government-farmer talks venue — and most of them sat on the floor to have their lunch.

Farmer representatives, participating in the fourth round of talks with the government over their charter of demands, refused to partake of the lunch provided by the Centre, preferring to eat the food brought by their supporters.

As the talks broke for lunch after over three hours, the government representatives invited the farmer leaders to have the food arranged by Centre but they declined, signalling they would not take any favour from the government till their demands are met.

Joining the chorus backing the agitating farmers, three former Punjab sportspersons, all belonging to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), have announced to return their awards in protest against the use of police force during the farmers’ protests, including Padma Shri and Arjuna awardee wrestler Kartar Singh, Arjuna awardee basketball player Sajjan Singh Cheema and Arjuna awardee hockey player Rajbir Kaur.
They announced that they will proceed to Delhi on December 5 to place the awards outside the Rashtrapati Bhavan.

Cheema, who represented India at the 1982 Asian Games, said: “We are the children of farmers. They have been holding peaceful agitation for the last several months.

When they were heading to Delhi, why water cannons and tear gas shells were used on them?”
Kartar Singh, who has retired as Inspector General from Punjab Police, said, “If farmers do not want such laws, then why is the Central government imposing them?”

Kartar Singh had won the gold in the 1978 Asian Games held in Bangkok and the 1986 Asian Games held in Seoul. He also won a silver in the 1982 Asian Games held in Delhi.

The trio, including Kaur, the only Indian women’s hockey player who represented the country in four consecutive Asian Games in 1982, 1986, 1990 and 1994, had joined the Aam Aadmi Party in 2016.

Meanwhile, expressing solidarity with the agitating farmers, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) patron Parkash Singh Badal on Thursday returned his Padma Vibhushan award in protest against “the betrayal of the farmers by the government”.

Rajya Sabha MP Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa also announced that he will return the Padma Bhushan conferred on him in 2019. (IANS)