New Delhi: The 8th round of Centre-farmers meet on Friday ended in deadlock again as the protesters continued to demand the repeal of the new farm laws where as the government said it is not possible looking at the larger interest of the country. On the other hand, the farmer leaders said they are ready to fight till death and their ‘ghar waapsi’ will happen only after ‘law waapsi’.
However, the next meeting has been fixed for January 15, amid indications that any headway will now depend on a Supreme Court hearing scheduled for January 11 on a batch of petitions related to the protest.
Next course of action
Soon after the meeting was over, the farmer groups decided to meet on January 11 to decide their next course of action, even as many leaders said they have lost hope now that any resolution could be reached even in the next round of negotiations.
Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar said no decision could be reached as the farmer leaders did not present alternatives to their demand for the repeal of the laws. However, he hoped that the unions will come up with alternatives in the next meeting for the consideration of the government.
All subject to SC
“We are a democracy and when laws are passed in Parliament, the Supreme Court has the authority to analyse them. Everyone, including the government, is obviously committed to the apex court and its decisions. The government is always committed to any direction given by the Supreme Court,” he said.
On the other hand, the Union leaders insisted they do not want anything less than the repeal of the laws and they are ready to fight till death. They also threatened that they are prepared to celebrate Lohri and Baisakhi festivals at their protest sites.
In the sixth round of talks held on December 30 last year, some common ground was reached on two demands — decriminalisation of stubble-burning and continuation of power subsidies — after which Tomar had said that 50 per cent resolution has been reached as two out of four issues got settled.
(With inputs from PTI)