Punjab: 7-member farmers’ panel to talk to Centre on 3 farm laws

BATHINDA: Twenty-nine farm organisations of Punjab have accepted the invitation of the Union agriculture ministry to hold talks over farm reform laws in Delhi on Wednesday and formed a seven-member committee for it. Farmer leaders Balbir Singh Rajewal, Darshan Pal, Jagjit Singh Dallewal, Jagmohan Singh, Kulwant Singh, Surjit Singh Phool and Satnam Singh Sahni will represent the 29 farm outfits in talks with the Centre.
A decision in this regard was taken at a meeting of the unions held here on Tuesday to discuss the next course of action. After their talks with the Union government, the farm organisations will hold talks with the Punjab government on October
15. Representatives of farmer organisation BKU (Ekta Ugrahan) did not attend the meeting but has decided to participate in the meeting called by the Centre, while BKU (Lakhowal) was kept away.
BKU (Rajewal) president Balbir Singh Rajewal said, “We are going because if we continue to reject the invitation, then they will say we are not ready for any talks. We do not want to give them any excuse. We will go there. In the previous invitation, it was written that the agriculture ministry officials will explain the laws, but now the meeting is being held to discuss the matter. So we have decided to hold the talks.”
He said representatives of all the organisations will attend the meeting, but the seven members would speak to put forth the points of farmers. He said at present the protests, including rail blockades, will continue in Punjab and there is no fear of power failure as the state government is drawing the same from the national grid.