After the fifth round of talks with the Center ended, the farmer leaders said that the government has said that they will send us a proposal on 9 December. This will be discussed in farmer organizations. This will be followed by a sixth round of talks between the central government and farmer leaders on the same day.
Talking to reporters after coming out of Vigyan Bhavan after the meeting, Rakesh Tikait of Bharatiya Kisan Union told that the government will prepare a draft and give it to us. The Center has said that they will consult the states on this also. He said that the minimum support price has also been discussed in today’s meeting but we said that the laws should also be discussed and it should be withdrawn. About the proposed Bharat Bandh, he said that India will be closed on 8 December.
Meanwhile, Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar appealed to the farmer leaders to send elders and children home from this movement. Farmer leaders turned down his appeal, saying that we have one year’s material. The government has to decide what she wants. Farmer leaders told the government that you should tell whether you will fulfill our demand or not.
Farmer leaders said in the meeting that we do not want to discuss the government, they want a concrete answer in writing. There has been much discussion so far. Farmer leaders warned that they would leave the meeting if the government was not thinking of withdrawing the three agricultural laws in force in September. At the break, the peasant leaders brought food and refreshments with them.
Tomar, who is leading the negotiations on behalf of the Center, said in his opening statement that the government is committed to ‘peaceful dialogue’ with the farmer leaders and does not want to hurt the sentiments of the farmers.
Sources said that the Agriculture Minister welcomed the responses and suggestions on the three agricultural laws, while Agriculture Secretary Sanjay Aggarwal gave brief information about the last four rounds of talks with the farmer leaders.
Earlier, for the first time this morning, a meeting was held at the house of PM Narendra Modi to discuss the farmers’ movement. Home Minister Amit Shah, Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar, Defense Minister Rajnath Singh and Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal were also present in it.
On the other hand, Bharatiya Kisan Union (Lakhowal) leader HS Lakhowal said that in front of the government, 40 leaders of farmer organizations have made point-of-view on the shortcomings of the three agricultural laws during the meeting. The Union Agriculture Minister and the Central Government have also acknowledged that many demands of farmers will be considered. We have demanded the government to withdraw all three agricultural laws. The leader of the farmers association Rajewal faction says that the government’s proposal for amendment will not be approved. The central government will have to withdraw all three laws.
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