Farm law protests: Supreme Court-appointed panel to hold first meeting today
The Centre has postponed the tenth round of talks with farmer unions, initially expected to be held on Tuesday, to Wednesday.
The Supreme Court-appointed committee to resolve the deadlock between the Centre and the protesting farm unions is scheduled to hold its first meeting on Tuesday. Only members will meet in New Delhi to “discuss the terms of reference and decide the future course of action”, said Anil Ghanwat, who is one of the committee members.
Meanwhile, the Centre on Monday postponed the tenth round of talks on the new agriculture laws with farmer unions to January 20. The meeting was earlier scheduled to take place at 12 pm on Tuesday at Delhi’s Vigyan Bhawan.
Tens of thousands of farmers have been camping out on the outskirts of Delhi for nearly two months. Nine rounds of talks between the government and farmers’ groups have failed to resolve the deadlock. Farmers’ around-the-clock sit-ins in cold weather have already led to some deaths among them.
The farmers believe that the new laws undermine their livelihood and open the path for the corporate sector to dominate agricultural. The government, on the other hand, maintains that the new laws will give farmers more options in selling their produce, lead to better pricing, and free them from unfair monopolies.
Live updates
11.36 am: Bharatiya Kisan Union leader Rakesh Tikait says the farmers are not attending the first meeting of the panel formed by the Supreme Court, ANI reports. “Nobody from the agitation approached [the] court.” he says. “Government brought the bill through ordinance, it was tabled in the House. It’ll go back the same route it came from.”
10.12 am: The Supreme Court-appointed committee to resolve the deadlock between the Centre and the protesting farm unions is scheduled to hold its first meeting on Tuesday, reports PTI. “We are going to meet tomorrow,” Anil Ghanwat, who is one of the committee members, said on Monday. “Only members will meet to discuss the terms of reference and decide the future course of action.” The meeting will be held at the Pusa campus in New Delhi.
10.09 am: Delhi’s Singhu and Tikri borders remain completely blocked. However, one-way traffic is allowed at Chilla and Ghazipur borders. “We are maintaining sufficient deployment of security personnel at the border to ensure law and order,” a police officer tells Hindustan Times.
10.05 am: Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh has hit out at the Centre after the National Investigation Agency issued notices to some farmer union leaders, reports NDTV. “Do these farmers look like secessionists and terrorists?” he asked. “Such arm-twisting tactics will not weaken the resolve of the farmers to fight for their rights and their future.”
The Punjab unit of the Aam Aadmi Party also condemned the notices.
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10.03 am: Here are the top updates from Monday:
10 am: Tens of thousands of farmers have been camping out on the outskirts of Delhi for nearly two months. Nine rounds of talks between the government and farmers’ groups have failed to resolve the deadlock. Farmers’ around-the-clock sit-ins in cold weather have already led to some deaths among them.
The farmers believe that the new laws undermine their livelihood and open the path for the corporate sector to dominate agricultural. The government, on the other hand, maintains that the new laws will give farmers more options in selling their produce, lead to better pricing, and free them from unfair monopolies.