Farmers’ protest on Day 12, Delhi CM to visit Singhu border today

The farmers’ protest which enters its 12^th day on Monday (December 7), has turned into a ‘who blinks first’ situation, with both the farmers and the Centre refusing to budge from their respective stand.

While the Centre has proposed to amend a few provisions in the new farm laws, the farmers want nothing short of a repeal of the three legislations.

Ahead of the third round of talks with the Centre on December 9, farmers’ bodies have called an all India bandh on December 8 in support of their demands. Political parties including the Congress, the DMK, the Samajwadi Party, RJD, the Left as well as the People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration in Jammu and Kashmir, in a joint statement issued on Sunday, have extended their support to the strike.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal is slated to visit the Delhi-Haryana border at Singhu on Monday (December 7) to take stock of arrangements done for the protesting farmers there.

The Centre, however, has clarified that it will not repeal the three laws come what may and is also ready for the consequences that may erupt due to a prolonged protest at the borders of Delhi.

“The resolution can only be found through discussion,” a top official told Indian Express.

The senior leader also told IE that caving in to pressure will reflect a lack of political will on the part of the central government and ruin any prospects of introducing farm reforms.

“Of course, we will wait to see what farmers come back to us with on December 9…But we are in no rush. As of now, whatever the Agriculture Minister has told the farmers…that’s the government’s stand,” IE quoted the senior government official as saying.

Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar scheduled a third round of meeting with farmers’ representatives after the second one held on December 3 remained inconclusive. While Tomar suggested to iron out differences, give written assurance for Minimum Support Price as well as to amend certain provisions pertaining to legal rights of farmers in the new bill and identification rules for buyers, farmers insisted on the repealing of the three laws.

The protest so far has garnered support not only from political parties but also from various celebrities, sportsmen and Indians abroad.

On Sunday, boxer Vijendra Singh joined the protesting farmers at Singhu border and said he will return his Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award if the Centre doesn’t withdraw the “black laws”.

The same day, demonstrators gathered near the Indian embassy at Adlwych in central London on Sunday, raising slogans in solidarity with the protesting farmers in India. Carrying placards reading “We stand with farmers of Punjab” and “Justice for farmers” the protesters, mainly British Sikhs were asked by police to disperse. Many of them were arrested after they refused to abide by COVID-19 protocol that bans demonstrations larger than 30 people.

In a statement later, the Indian High Commission said the protests were organised by “anti-India separatists” who in the guise of supporting the farmers’ protest had used the opportunity to peddle their own “anti-India agenda”.