Ready to restart talks but govt must come with 'open mind': Farmer unions

Asserting that the ball is in the Union government's court, protesting farmer unions on Wednesday asked it to come up with a new concrete proposal for resumption of talks, even as Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar underscored that dialogue was the only way for a solution and the government was committed to reforms in the farm sector. As the stalemate between the government and the protesters, who are demanding a repeal of the three new agri laws, continued without any signs of a breakthrough, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to interact on Friday with farmers from six states during which they will share their experience on various initiatives taken by the Union government, in yet another outreach attempt.

Replying to the Union government's offer for talks, the farmer leaders, who have rejected a proposal for amending the agri laws, said that they are waiting for the government to come to the table "with an open mind", adding if it "takes one step, farmers will take two". It was 'Kisan Diwas' (National Farmers' Day), the birth anniversary of former prime minister Chaudhary Charan Singh, on Wednesday and opposition parties like the Congress, TMC, Shiv Sena, and the Left used the occasion to target the government, alleging that it was only interested in benefiting the corporates while the farmers were forced to stage protests on streets.

The BJP hit back, alleging that the farmers were being misled and provoked by the opposition parties which had exploited them when in power. The government reiterated its commitment to the welfare of farmers and expressed the hope that the unions will withdraw their agitation.

In a series of tweets, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has taken numerous measures in farmers' interest while taking inspiration from Charan Singh and that he will not allow any harm to them under any circumstances.

"Some farmers have been agitating due to the farm laws. The government has been talking to them with the utmost sensitivity. I hope they will soon withdraw their agitation," he said.

From a 'yagna' in Sambhal, Uttar Pradesh to pray for the government's "change of heart" on the agri laws to a letter purportedly written in blood by Bharatiya Kisan Union (Lok Shakti) chief Sheoraj Singh to Prime Minister Modi, various organisations and activists continued to express solidarity with the farmers who have been camping on Delhi's borders since November 26 demanding a repeal of the laws.

After a meeting of union leaders that lasted for over three hours, farmer leader Shiv Kumar Kakka told reporters that the government should "abandon its stubbornness" and create a conducive environment for talks. In the reply to Union Agriculture Joint Secretary Vivek Aggarwal, Sankyukt Kisan Morcha, an umbrella body of 40 agitating unions, alleged that the government is treating the farmers as its "political opponents".

In the letter to 40 union leaders, Joint Secretary Aggarwal had on Sunday asked protesting farmer leaders to specify their concerns over its earlier proposal of amendments in the laws and choose a convenient date for the next round of talks so that the ongoing agitation could end at the earliest.

The sixth round of talks on December 9 was cancelled following a deadlock with the farmer unions refusing to budge from their demand for repealing the three laws.

Earlier in the day, Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar said the government will continue with reforms in the farm sector as it is committed to strengthening it. Stressing that a solution can be reached only through dialogue, Tomar said, "History is witness to this fact. However old and strong the protest is, the end and the solution to a protest are reached through dialogue only." Farmer unions should discuss the government's draft proposal and inform them if they want to add or delete anything, he said.

"I am fully hopeful that our farmer unions will discuss... If they give a date and time, the government is ready for the next round of talks... I am hopeful that we will move towards resolving the issue," Tomar told reporters.

Meanwhile, one of the petitioners, who has approached the Supreme Court for a direction to authorities to remove the protesting farmers from Delhi's borders, has sought to implead over 40 farmer unions as a party in the pending case.

A bench headed by Chief Justice SA Bobde had on December 17 said that farmers' agitation should be allowed to continue without impediment and the apex court will not interfere with it as the right to protest is a fundamental right

Enacted in September, the three farm laws have been projected by the Union government as major reforms in the agriculture sector that will remove the middlemen and allow farmers to sell anywhere in the country. However, the protesting farmers have expressed apprehension that the new laws would pave the way for eliminating the safety cushion of Minimum Support Price and do away with the mandi system, leaving them at the mercy of big corporates.

The government has repeatedly asserted that the MSP and Mandi systems will stay and has accused the opposition of misleading the farmers.