Delhi protests: Farmer unions meet today to decide on next round of talks with government

Farmer unions are set to meet today to take a decision on whether to accept or reject the invitation from the government for the new round of talks. The government has invited farmer unions protesting against the three agriculture laws for a fresh round of talks. The invitation is in the form of a letter written by the Union Agriculture Ministry and it requests farmers to decide a date for discussion. However, the farmer unions have accused the Centre of wasting time and said that they will take a final decision on it during a meet called on Tuesday.

“Government has already been informed that we are not going to accept any amendment. It is not sincere in its efforts,” Dr Darshan Pal, the president of Krantikari Kisan Union, was quoted as saying by The Indian Express. Dr Pal has received the invitation for talks from the government. Another farm union termed the government’s call for talk as ‘time pass tactics.’

“Government has given us a five-page letter that only describes things that happened in the previous meeting. This is nothing but time-pass tactics. Representatives of various unions will meet today to decide the next step,” Jamhoori Kisan Sabha general secretary Kulwant Singh Sandhu said. Sandhu is among 39 farm leaders who have been copied on the letter from Centre that was addressed to Pal.

Expressing his view on the Centre’s letter, Shiv Kumar Kakka, national president – Rashtriya Kisan Mazdoor Mahasangh, said that it clearly indicates that the government is just indulging in formality and does not want to call a meeting. “It is not at all serious to hold the next round of talks with farmers’ union. If this is not the case, it could have categorically mentioned the date and venue just as it did earlier,” Kakka said. He added that Samyukta Kisan Morcha, an umbrella body representing 40 protesting unions, will take a final decision on a response.

Sukhdev Singh Kokrikalan, general secretary of BKU (Ugrahan), told The Indian Express that his union along with the representatives of the Punjab Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee (PKMSC) has decided not to attend any meeting to discuss the three farm laws. However, the All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee (AIKSCC) in a letter to the Agriculture Ministry said that they never refused to be part of the discussion.