NEW DELHI: Seeking to mount pressure on the government ahead of the upcoming round of talks on Monday, the farmers’ unions on Friday said they would further intensify their protests during next two weeks, beginning January 6, if their core demands - repeal of three central farm laws and legal guarantee to MSP – are not met in the meeting.
A day after announcing that an alternative to repeal of laws was not feasible, they said the government should not take their demands “lightly”. Nothing less than the “repeal of laws” would be acceptable to us, the farmers' unions said.
“The claims that 50% of issues have been resolved do not hold much ground. Our two core demands are still pending. ‘Abhi to sirf poonch nikli hai, pura haathi baki hai’ (only tail is cleared, the whole elephant continues to get stuck). The government has not even ‘in principle’ agreed for legal guarantee to MSP,” said Yogendra Yadav, leader of Jai Kisan Andolan.
Yadav was addressing a joint press conference with union leaders at Singhu (Delhi-Haryana)border.
He said if there won’t be any satisfactory result on January 4, the farmers would hold a tractor ‘march’ at Kundli-Manesar-Palwal (KMP) highway on January 6. The tractor march was earlier scheduled for December 31 which the unions had postponed in view of their talks with the government on December 30.
“We will announce a date next week about when we move forward from Shahjahanpur border. We will make our protest programmes linked with success or failure of our ongoing talks with the government,” said Yadav.
The farmers’ unions usual press conference venue will be shifted from Singhu border to the central part of the capital at Press Club on Saturday where a seven-member national coordination committee of the ‘Samyukt Kisan Morcha’ would try to explain the farmers’ position in the context of their two remaining demands.
They would argue how the government may take a clue from a private member Bill on MSP guarantee, which was introduced in the Parliament in 2018, instead of taking the route of committee. The unions held a view that the committee route would merely be a delaying tactic.
Farmer representatives during their talks with the government mentioned the private member's Bill on MSP guarantee, saying as many as 21 opposition political parties had extended their support to the Bill during discussion.
Union agriculture minister Narendra Singh Tomar during the last round of talks with unions on Wednesday had urged them to suggest any alternative to repeal of laws which the farmer organizations' umbrella body, AIKSCC, rejected on Thursday after their preliminary discussion over the issue.
Tomar had also suggested forming a committee which can discuss MSP issues. This suggestion was, however, rejected by the unions then and there.
In their meeting on Friday, they appreciated the Kerala Assembly’s resolution against the central farm laws.
“It seems the government is taking farmers lightly. The government was able to disperse ‘Shaheen Bagh’ (anti-CAA) protesters. They are thinking to do the same with us but such a day will never come. If the government doesn’t take a call on their demands on January 4 then farmers will have to take a decision (to further intensify their protests),” said Yudhvir Singh of Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU).
Farmers leaders also announced their protest calendar with farmer leader Darshan Pal of Krantikari Kisan Union saying those programmes would be held in addition to their ongoing boycott of products and services of Adani and Ambani.
They announced that the farmers would organize ‘Desh Jagriti Abhiyan’ from January 7 to January 20 across the country. Besides, they will observe January 18 as ‘Mahila Kisan Diwas’ (woman farmer's day) and Subhash Chandra Bose birth anniversary on January 23 as ‘Kisan Chetna Diwas’.
“In Haryana, all toll plazas will remain free. All the petrol pumps and malls will be shut. Leaders of BJP and Jannayak Janata Party (JJP) will face protests in the state and this will continue till their alliance breaks,” said Vikas Sisar, farmer leader from Haryana, at the press conference.