Contentious Laws: Farmers Ready To Resume Dialogue With Govt On Dec 29

Picture courtesy PTI

New Delhi: The protesting farmers have agreed to resume dialogue with the Centre on the contentious farm laws. They have proposed December 29 as the date for next round of talks.

The decision was taken on Saturday at a meeting of Sanyukt Kisan Morcha, an umbrella body of 40 farmer unions which have been protesting against the three agriculture laws for one month now at at various border points of Delhi.

The stalemate has not been resolved despite five rounds of talks between the two parties. The government has said it’s willing to discuss the laws in detail and amend certain parts, while the farmers have refused to accept anything less than repeal of the laws as they fear the newly-enacted legislations will leave them at the mercy of corporates by weakening mandi and MSP systems.

“We propose that the next meeting between the farmers’ representatives and the Government of India be held on December 29, 2020 at 11 am,” Sanyukt Kisan Morcha has written to Joint Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, Vivek Aggarwal.

BJP Ally RLP Quits NDA

In a blow to the BJP, Rashtriya Loktantrik Party (RLP) broke away from the NDA in protest against the farm bills, thus following in the footsteps of Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD).

“I am not stuck with Fevicol with the NDA. Today, I separate myself from the NDA,” RLP chief and Nagaur MP Hanuman Beniwal said at a farmers’ rally in Shahjahanpur, Rajasthan.