Farmers’ protest enters 34th day; Ryots stick to demands ahead of talks

New Delhi, Dec 29 (UNI) As the farmers’ protest against the Centre’s three new farm laws at Delhi’s periphery entered the 34th day on Tuesday, the All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee (AIKSCC) refuted any possibility of any discussion in tomorrow’s talks until the agenda of repeal of the three Farm Acts and EB 2020 is taken up first.

‘There are mischievous elements planting stories of other issues being taken up. All those attempting to diffuse the focus are anti–farmer forces,’ the AIKSCC said in a statement here.

‘AIKSCC reminded the Agriculture Minister (Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar) that the demand for repeal is on his table for the past seven months and when he says he will base himself on ‘issues, logic and facts,’ he should keep this in mind,’ it added.

‘It is illogical for the Government to assert that these Acts are for the benefit to farmers,’ the AIKSCC said. ‘Crores of farmers who know the reality of Companies better than him are sitting at his doorstep for more than a month. The Acts, which legally establish Corporate, both Indian and Foreign, will undermine Government Mandis, help bind farmers in contracts.

‘They will raise create a large chain of middlemen for supervisors, supplying, aggregating, assaying, etc. They will input costs, reduce prices, raise farmer debts and lead both to increased alienation from land and suicides,’ the statement said.

The AIKSCC asserted that the ‘farmer under contract will have to borrow and the Contract Acts provides for such borrowing by mortgaging and for recovery of dues from land’.

‘The Government is deliberately misguiding the nation by asserting that it will promise MSP and procurement, while its own NITI Ayog Vice Chairman Ramesh Kumar writes every day that the government has massive storage problems and has no intention to buy,’ the AIKSCC said.

The AIKSCC said despite bitter cold, the farmers protest in Delhi is gaining both in strength and commitment. Crowds continue to swell at all dharna sites, it added.

The Government on Monday wrote to the protesting farmers, inviting their organisations for yet another round of talks on Wednesday, saying that it was committed to find a solution to the relevant issues with an open mind.

In the letter to the farmers’ organisations, numbering about 40, Union Agriculture Secretary Sanjay Agrawal took cognisance of an e-mail of December 26 by Samyukt Kisan Morcha, which had accepted the government’s request for holding another round of talks with the protesting farmers.

Mr Agrawal, in his brief letter in Hindi, said the government was ready and committed to hold talks with an open mind and honest intentions. He mentioned the three farm laws and other relevant issues, on which a detailed discussion would be held.

The Agriculture Secretary requested the farmers’ organisations to participate in the talks with the panel of Union Ministers on December 30 at 1400 hrs in Vigyan Bhawan.

The protest by farmers has been going on at the Delhi borders for the past one month, demanding repeal of the three new farm laws passed by Parliament in September.

The farmers’ unions have held five rounds of talks with the government and also attended a meeting convened by Union Home Minister Amit Shah. The talks have so far been inconclusive.

Meanwhile, Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar on Monday said he was confident that with support, positive attitude and understanding, the farm laws would be implemented and the government would succeed in explaining to the farmers.

A new path would be created and India’s agriculture would prosper, he said, while speaking to the leaders of around 25 farmer organisations, who met him in support of the farm laws.

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