Farmers’ protest on Delhi’s borders with Haryana and Uttar Pradesh entered 14th day on Wednesday even as farmer leaders will meet on the Singhu border at noon to discuss the government’s response to their demands as well as the future course of action.
The development comes in the wake of the postponement of the sixth round of talks between farmer leaders and the government slated to be held on Wednesday and a meeting of representatives of several farmer organizations with Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Delhi a day earlier.
In Tuesday’s meeting with Shah, it was decided that a written proposal would be sent by the government on Wednesday to the farmers on the points on which it is agreeable to amend the three new central agricultural laws.
After considering this proposal at their Singhu border meeting, the farmer leaders will convey their decision to the Union government. The government has rejected the demand of farmers to withdraw the three farm laws and said that only amendments to these laws can be considered.
The meeting of representatives of farmers’ organizations with the Home Minister was held at the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), Pusa. Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar and Railway Minister Piyush Goyal were also present at the meeting. A delegation of 13 farmer leaders participated in the meeting.
On Wednesday evening, a delegation of Opposition leaders is slated to call on President Ram Nath Kovind to urge him to intervene to get the government to repeal the contentious laws. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, NCP President Sharad Pawar, CPI-M’s Sitaram Yechury, CPI leader D Raja and DMK’s TKS Elangovan, and others are likely to be part of the delegation.
The countrywide shutdown called by farmers’ organizations was peaceful on Tuesday. They are demanding the repeal of The Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act 2020; the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Price Assurance and the Agricultural Services Agreement Act 2020; and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act 2020.
