Farmers have been protesting for months against the three farm laws. (ANI)2020 Indian Farmers Protest Live Update: The farmers have left the Singhu border for Vigyan Bhawan where they will hold ninth rounds of talks with the Centre on farm laws. So far, eight rounds of talks have yielded no results with both the parties sticking to their positions. The farmers are demanding complete rollback while the government wants clause-by-clause discussion on farm laws.
This round of talks comes three days after the Supreme Court stayed the implementation of three farm laws and formed a four-member committee to initiate a dialogue with protesting farmers to break the months-long stalemate. Among the members named for the committee were Anil Ghanwat of Shetkari Sanghatana, BKU President Bhupinder Singh Mann, Pramod Kumar Joshi and agriculture economist Ashok Gulati. On Thursday, Mann recused himself from the committee following a controversy about his stated position on farm laws.
Today, the Congress will observe Kisan Adhikar Diwas. Former Congress president Rahul Gandhi will lead a protest march to the Governor House in Delhi. The Congress has asked its state units to gherao Raj Bhavans in their respective states. The Congress has backed the farmers in their fight against the Centre on the three farm laws. Last month, Gandhi had submitted a memorandum to President Ram Nath Kovind on the issue. On Thursday, Gandhi said that the Centre will be forced to take back all three laws.
The last round of talks had taken place on January 9.
Highlights
Ahead of talks with the Centre, All India Kisan Sabha general Secretary Hannah Mollah says farmers don't expect much. "9th round of talks with government failed and now they have got the opportunity to get help from court. I think govt is not going to advance the discussions. There is no chance of further improvement on three farm laws," Mollah said.
The farm union leaders have left Singhu border for Vigyan Bhawan. They will hold ninth rounds of talks with Centre.
The Rajasthan Congress will lay siege to the Raj Bhavan in support of he farmers' agitation against the Centre's new farm laws. The leaders and workers of the state unit of the party will observe Friday as 'Kisan Adhikar Diwas' and gherao the Raj Bhavan from 11 am to 2 pm in support of the farmers' resentment also against the anti-farmer attitude of the Modi government.All India Congress Committee general secretary and Rajasthan in-charge Ajay Maken, Rajasthan Pradesh Congress Committee president Govind Singh Dotasra and Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot will also be present during the gherao of the Raj Bhavan.
Protesting farmer leaders on Thursday said they will attend the ninth round of talks with the government but added that they don't have much hope as they will not settle for anything less than the repeal of the farm laws. Bhartiya Kisan Union (Ekta Ugrahan) Joginder Singh Ugrahan told PTI, "We are going to hold talks with the government tomorrow. We don't have much hope from the Friday meeting as the government will cite the SC-appointed panel. The government doesn't have good intention to resolve our issues." Singh said that the unions do not want any committee, adding "we just want a complete repeal of three farm laws and legal guarantee on minimum support price for our crops." He said that farmers will not call off their protest until their demands are met.
The Shiromani Akali Dal said Bhupinder Singh Mann should not have recused himself from the SC-appointed committee, saying the BKU leader should have taken a stand for Punjab. Bhartiya Kisan Union national president Bhupinder Singh Mann on Thursday said he is recusing himself from the four-member committee appointed by the Supreme Court to resolve the deadlock between farmers and the Centre over the new farm laws. "Mann should have taken a stand for Punjab and Punjabiyat in the four-member committee formed by the Supreme Court to initiate a dialogue with farm organizations instead of weakening their case by recusing himself from the committee," said SAD leader Maheshinder Singh Grewal. Grewal rued Maan's withdrawal from the panel saying it is already heavily tilted in favour of the Centre. In a statement, he said Mann's letter recusing himself from the committee itself is a proof that he was under intense pressure from the Punjab government as well as the Centre to come out with a verdict in favour of the farm laws. (PTI)
Activist Anna Hazare on Thursday wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and reiterated his decision to launch "the last hunger strike" of his life on farmers' issues in Delhi by January end. The letter came as farmer unions are agitating on Delhi borders against the Centre's new farm laws. Speaking to reporters later, Hazare said the new farm laws do not conform to "democratic values" and people's participation is necessary in the drafting of legislations. He will stage a fast in the national capital by month-end, Hazare said in the letter to the PM.
On December 14, Hazare had written to Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar, warning of a hunger strike if his demands including the implementation of the M S Swaminathan Committee's recommendations on agriculture were not met. Another demand made by him was grant of autonomy to the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices. "On the issue of farmers, I have had correspondence (with the Centre) five times, however, no response came. As a result, I have decided to go on the last hunger strike of my life," said Hazare in his missive to the prime minister on Thursday. (PTI)
Farmers protests LIVE: BKU (Lok Shakti) yesterday said that the members of the committee appointed by the Supreme Court to resolve farm laws deadlock should follow the suit of Bhupinder Singh Mann and not be on the "wrong side of history". Mann, chief of Bharatiya Kisan Union, yesterday expressed gratitude over his nomination into the four-member committee but recused himself saying he would give up any position to prevent farmers' interests from being compromised. "Mann's decision is a welcome move. The other three members of the panel, who have shown pro-new farm laws stance should also follow Mann's suit. This ongoing agitation for rollback of the three agri laws is history in the making, and we urge they should not be on the wrong side of history," Bharatiya Kisan Union (Lok Shakti) spokesperson Shailesh Kumar Giri said.
Apart from Mann, Shetkari Sanghatana (Maharashtra) president Anil Ghanwat, International Food Policy Research Institute's Pramod Kumar Joshi and agriculture economist Ashok Gulati were appointed on the panel. BKU (Lok Shakti) members have been camping at the Dalit Prerna Sthal in Noida since first week of December to demand withdrawal of the three new contentious laws. Besides BKU (Lok Shakti), members of BKU (Bhanu) are also staying put at Chilla at Noida-Delhi border over the issue. (PTI)
Farmers protests LIVE: BKU (Lok Shakti) yesterday said that the members of the committee appointed by the Supreme Court to resolve farm laws deadlock should follow the suit of Bhupinder Singh Mann and not be on the "wrong side of history". Mann, chief of Bharatiya Kisan Union, yesterday expressed gratitude over his nomination into the four-member committee but recused himself saying he would give up any position to prevent farmers' interests from being compromised. "Mann's decision is a welcome move. The other three members of the panel, who have shown pro-new farm laws stance should also follow Mann's suit. This ongoing agitation for rollback of the three agri laws is history in the making, and we urge they should not be on the wrong side of history," Bharatiya Kisan Union (Lok Shakti) spokesperson Shailesh Kumar Giri said.
Apart from Mann, Shetkari Sanghatana (Maharashtra) president Anil Ghanwat, International Food Policy Research Institute's Pramod Kumar Joshi and agriculture economist Ashok Gulati were appointed on the panel. BKU (Lok Shakti) members have been camping at the Dalit Prerna Sthal in Noida since first week of December to demand withdrawal of the three new contentious laws. Besides BKU (Lok Shakti), members of BKU (Bhanu) are also staying put at Chilla at Noida-Delhi border over the issue. (PTI)
The IMF believes the three farm bills passed by the Indian government have the potential to represent a significant step forward for agricultural reforms, but a social safety net is needed to protect those who might be adversely impacted during the transition to the new system. Gerry Rice, Director of Communications at the International Monetary Fund (IMF), said the new measures will reduce the role of the middlemen and enhance efficiency. 'We believe the farm bills do have the potential to represent a significant step forward for agricultural reforms in India,' Rice said at a news conference in Washington on Thursday. 'The measures will enable farmers to directly contract with sellers, allow farmers to retain a greater share of the surplus by reducing the role of middlemen, enhance efficiency and support rural growth,' he said. (PTI)