The Union government has invited protesting farmers’ groups to resume negotiations with a ministerial delegation on December 30. Agriculture Secretary Sanjay Agarwal sent the invitation to 40 farmers’ organisations on Monday evening, saying the Centre was committed to a “logical solution”.
Farmers groups indicated they were likely to accept the invitation, although they complained that the letter did not specifically reference their key demand for repeal of three agricultural market reform laws. “The Govt. has used vague and unspecific language, indicating its unwillingness to discuss the full agenda items proposed by farmers…[The letter] is woefully short of any attempt to resolve issues,” said a statement from one of the protesting farmers’ platforms, the All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee (AIKSCC).
The wider Samyukt Kisan Morcha held an internal consultation later on Monday evening to discuss their official response to the Centre’s invitation.
In his letter, Mr. Agarwal noted that the farmers groups had communicated their willingness to hold discussions with an open mind. “The Government of India is also committed to finding a logical solution of the relevant issues with an open mind and honest intentions,” said the letter.
Show of strength on Dec. 30?
On the ground, farmers are planning a show of strength on December 30, with a tractor rally from the Singhu border point towards the protest sites at Tikri on the Haryana border, and Shahjahanpur on the Rajasthan border. Rallies are also expected in Thanjavur, Patna, Hyderabad and Imphal over the next two days.
Tens of thousands of farmers are now protesting on Delhi’s borders for 33 straight days, and five rounds of talks have already been held between Central Ministers and farmer leaders. Negotiations broke down on December 9, when farmers groups rejected the government’s proposal to amend the three contentious laws, insisting on full repeal instead.
Last week, Agriculture Ministry joint secretary Vivek Aggarwal wrote to the farmers’ groups, urging them to resume negotiations, suggesting that they set the date and issues of their choosing to be discussed.
On Saturday, the Samyukt Kisan Morcha responded, proposing a meeting at 11 a.m. on December 29, demanding a four-point agenda, beginning with the modalities to be adopted for the revocation of the three laws and a mechanism of legal guarantee for minimum support price (MSP). The other demands are that farmers be exempted from the penal provisions of the Commission for Air Quality, and changes to be made to the Electricity Bill, 2020.
Mr. Agarwal’s letter mentioned the same four issues to be discussed at the December 30 meeting, but left out the specific reference to “modalities for repeal” of the three laws, as well as the “legal guarantee” with regard to MSPs.
“This is wordplay being engaged in by the government. We will want to clarify that our proposed agenda has been clearly understood,” AIKSCC general secretary Avik Saha said.
“We will go for the talks on Wednesday. At least, the government is not talking about amendments as the agenda anymore. But neither have they mentioned repeal,” said Abhimanyu Kohar, spokesperson for the Rashtriya Kisan Mahasangh.
Tomar meets farmers
Earlier, Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar, who has been leading the Central delegation in the talks, addressed a conference organised by farmers groups supporting the contentious new laws. He reiterated the government’s determination to implement the reforms, saying that they were long overdue and would enable farmers to benefit equally from domestic and foreign markets.
