Farmers Protest News Updates: In Round 5 Meet, Centre Gives Written Proposal To Farmer Unions:10 Facts

Farmer's Protest In Delhi: Farmers began massive protests last week.

Highlights

Two rounds of talks this week have fallen through
This is the biggest farmers' protest in years
A nationwide shutdown has been called by farmers on Tuesday

New Delhi: Irate farmers protesting the new farm laws threatened to walk out of today's meeting with the centre with no agreement in sight on the key issue - the repeal of the three pieces of legislation they have dubbed the "black" laws. Today's talks - the third this week and fifth overall - began hours after a high-level meet between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and senior cabinet ministers. Sources said Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar were present. The centre may consider amending laws that have triggered the biggest farmers' agitation in recent years, with thousands camped around Delhi for over a week.

Here are 10 developments in this big story:

Today's talks are being led by Mr Tomar and Railways Minister Piyush Goyal, who have submitted a written proposal to the farmers. Earlier, the challenge before the centre was underlined as the farmers' reps arrived, with Harsulinder Singh (from the Doaba Kisan Sangharsh Committee) telling news agency ANI: "We want withdrawal of the laws... won't accept offer to amend."
Shortly before the talks began Junior Agriculture Minister Kailash Choudhary said farmers' doubts about the new laws - which the centre says is "historic" and allows farmers to sell produce at markets and prices of their choice - will be cleared today. "Farmers will roll back protests," he said.
This morning the Prime Minister was briefed about the protests and the talks. On Sunday the Prime Minister attended public events at his constituency in Uttar Pradesh's Varanasi, where he defended the laws and tried to reassure the farmers that the new system did not spell the end of mandis, or traditional wholesale markets, and the MSP scheme.
On Friday around 40 farmer leaders gathered at the Delhi-Haryana border to chalk out their strategy after a seven-hour meeting the day before failed to break the deadlock. In (one of several) scenes that has defined this protest, the farmers turned down the government's offer of lunch or tea; stirring images showed some of them sitting on the floor and eating packed food.
At Thursday's talks farmers' reps made a 39-point presentation on the farm laws' inadequacies, refusing piecemeal changes and demanding written assurances on extending the MSP scheme. Over the course of a protest that began in September the farmers have repeatedly expressed concern over laws they say will leave them at the mercy of private firms. The centre offered to amend the laws and give farmers more legal rights, but stopped short of repealing the legislations.
Increasingly irate farmers have called for the protest to intensify. An all-India strike has been scheduled for Tuesday and farmers camped out around the national capital have warned they will block all roads leading to the city and occupy highways across the country in an attempt to increase pressure on the centre. A top traders' body has backed this call.
A petition has been moved in the Supreme Court asking that farmers around Delhi be removed because they are blocking emergency medical services. Filed by a local resident, the petition cites a top court order from September that said protesters cannot occupy public places indefinitely. That order was in the context of protest in Delhi's Shaheen Bagh over the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).
At least three deaths have been recorded during the protests. The farmers have told the centre it would be "inhuman" - given the cold weather - to drag this out any further. On Thursday Punjab announced financial assistance of Rs 5 lakh each to the families of two of farmers from the state who died during the protests.
Several prominent personalities have spoken in support of the farmers. Former Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, whose Akali Dal pulled out of the BJP-led NDA over the farm laws, has returned his Padma Vibhushan award over the "betrayal of farmers". This morning Congress chief Rahul Gandhi tweeted in support. The Chief Ministers of Punjab and Delhi (when not sniping at each other) and Bengal have also supported the farmers.
Canada Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has repeated his support for farmers' right to hold peaceful protest. This comes hours after the government summoned his country's High Commissioner to express displeasure at his original remarks. The United Nations has also weighed in, reminding the government of people's "right to demonstrate peacefully".