BATHINDA: The Samyukta Kisan Morcha has urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to go beyond mere words and ready the ground for resumption of talks between farmers and central government. It pointed out that it was the government that had ended the dialogue process on January 22 with its proposal to suspend the implementation of farm laws and the farm groupshad never said no to talks.
The morcha was of the view that the government should initiate talks by creating a congenial atmosphere.
‘Centre should come up with new farmer-oriented proposal’
Reiterating that more people would come to the protest sites with the change in weather, the farm groups replied to the PM’s Andolanjeevi reference, saying that they are happy to be called "people in struggle" and BJP too should struggle for the welfare of people.
Speaking to TOI, senior farm leader Darshan Pal said, "PM is indulging only in lip service. If the government is really concerned about ending the farm protest, it should come up with a new farmer-oriented proposal and create an atmosphere that is congenial for talks. It is the government which, after the last meeting on January 22, made it clear that there would be no more talks and had given a proposal which we had rejected. We never said no to talks, let the government make up its mind and show a large heart by shedding ego."
On the PM’s claim that MSP would remain, Darshan Pal said that the MSP should be given on all the 23 crops as per the Swaminathan formula and the government should give legal guarantee of this.
Asking the PM not to see farmers as enemies, he said the BJP had never been part of a people-oriented struggle, so the was seeing them as “unnecessarily indulging in protest”.
Farm organisation BKU Ekta Ugrahan president Joginder Singh Ugrahan said the PM, instead of finding fault with farmers, should realise the government’s responsibility towards its "anndatas". “The farmers have not said no to talks. Let government show its seriousness and not indulge only in making "hollow statements", he said.
Farm leader Rakesh Tikait said the PM should focus on repeal of laws and legal guarantee of MSP on all crops.
The Morcha condemned the PM for insulting the farmers, saying that they would like to remind him that it is andolans (agitations) that had liberated India from colonial rule and they were "proud to be Andolan jivi".
The morcha questioned the government’s introduction of the Electricity Amendment Bill 2021 after assuring farmers’ organisations that it the draft bill would be withdrawn.