After 8-hour discussions with Centre, farmers say 'some progress'

As the Centre’s eight-hour-long meeting with farmers concluded on Thursday (December 3) evening, Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar said the “government has no ego” and was discussing with the farmers with an “open mind”. Farmers leaders said there has been some progress in the talks and that the Centre’s stand on minimum support price (MSP) “seems fine”.

Appealing to the farmers to withdraw their protest to save the residents of Delhi from further inconvenience, Tomar said the government is ready to discuss all their grievances — from MSP and APMCs to giving more legal rights and stubble burning fine — to reach a solution.

The next round of meetings have been scheduled for December 5.

“Some points have been raised in previous meetings and today’s (Thursday’s) meet. Farmer unions are mainly concerned about these. The government has no ego, it was discussing with farmers with an open mind. Farmers are concerned that the new laws will end APMCs,” ANI quoted Tomar as saying.

Stating that farmers fear the new laws will end the Minimum Support Price (MSP) regime and make Agricultural Produce Market Committees (APMCs) irrelevant, Tomar assured that the MSP system will continue and the government will “contemplate about seeing that APMC is further strengthened and its usage increases.”

“The new laws lay down provision for private mandis outside the purview of APMC. So, we’ll also contemplate about having an equal tax for private as well as mandis under AMPC Act,” he said.

With farmers unhappy over the clause which says any grievance should be resolved by the SDM court, Tomar said the government will consider their demand to approach a higher court.

“They (farmers) also expressed their concerns over an Ordinance on stubble burning and the Act on electricity. The government is open to consider and discuss these issues as well,” he said.

Farmers’ leaders said the talks have made some progress so far.

“The government has given indications over MSP. It seems that their stand over MSP will be fine. The talks have made a little progress,” Rakesh Tikait, spokesperson, Bharatiya Kisan Union said.

Earlier in the day, the farmer had warned the government that Thursday’s meeting was to be the “last chance” for calling an emergency session of Parliament to recall the controversial farm laws.

The farmers fear that the new laws will take away the MSP or their guaranteed minimum earnings and leave them to manipulation by corporates. The protest has entered the eighth day with farmers threatening to block other roads in Delhi and “take more steps” if the Centre fails to meet their demands.

Also read: Farmers’ protest spells trouble for Khattar govt in Haryana

Farmers have gathered at four busy border points of the national capital – Singhu, Noida, Ghazipur and Tikri – to press their demands, under heavy police deployment. Farmers protesting at the Delhi-Haryana border in Singhu, who have fever, will be given free Covid tests, the district magistrate of Haryana’s Sonepat said.

A key route in east Delhi, connecting the capital to Noida in Uttar Pradesh has been closed for the third straight day as farmers from different parts of Uttar Pradesh continued their sit-in at the Noida-Delhi border. National Highway-24 (Delhi-Meerut Expressway) and the DND flyway are the alternate routes to Noida that are open.

Leaders of around 32 farmer unions met at one of the Delhi-Haryana borders on Wednesday. “We ask the government not to indulge in any divisive agenda with regard to the farmers’ movement, which is united in its demand. This was clear from Tuesday’s meeting,” the Samyukt Kisan Morcha said.

In Maharashtra’s Nashik, which is among India’s most prominent onion markets, various farmer unions under the umbrella of All India Kisan Sabha have announced solidarity with the Delhi protestors.

At least three deaths have been recorded during these protests and the farmers said it would be “inhuman” on the centre’s part – given the cold weather – to drag this out any further.

Also read: Can’t include MSP in new laws, agri minister ahead of farmers talks

Thousands of farmers, who have braved water cannons, tear gas and police barricades, began their protest last week against the farm laws, aimed at doing away with middlemen and allowing them to sell produce anywhere in the country.