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Farmers protest: Government offers written assurance on MSP, today’s meeting cancelled

It was conveyed by the government via a written proposal to protesting farmers a day after several farmers’ groups held a meeting at the Singhu border to discuss the future course of action as both sides remain firm on their stances.

Farmers protest: Government offers written assurance on MSP, today’s meeting cancelled

Security forces take measures as farmers block a highway as they protest during a nationwide strike against the newly passed farm bills at the Delhi-Uttar Pradesh border. (SNS)

Even as the Tuesday’s meeting between the protesting farmers and Union Home Minister Amit Shah ended in a deadlock, the government, on Wednesday, suggested that the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for the crops will stay.

The proposal was sent with written amendments that the government intends to implement, with the government assuring that the MSP will continue.

It was conveyed by the government via a written proposal to protesting farmers a day after several farmers’ groups held a meeting at the Singhu border to discuss the future course of action as both sides remain firm on their stances.

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The sixth round of meeting which was scheduled to be held on Wednesday between farmers’ unions and Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar was called off yesterday after the meeting between farmers and Home Minister Amit Shah ended in an impasse.

“We’ll strategise in our meeting and discuss their (centre’s) proposal. Farmers won’t go back. It’s a matter of their respect. Will the government not withdraw laws? Will there be tyranny? If the government is stubborn, so are farmers. The laws have to be withdrawn,” said Rakesh Tikait, spokesperson of the Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU).

The government proposal says that the Electricity (Amendment) Bill 2020, which, according to the farmers, goes against them, will not be introduced whereas the government had earlier argued that the laws are meant to monitor power distributors.

Bharatiya Kisan Manch leader Boota Singh told IANS that the morning meeting was a sort of preparatory one while the second meeting will discuss the Centre’s written proposals on their demands.

Tikait said that the central government will send them an offer on their demands during the day and after that, they will make their decision on their future course of action.

Meanwhile, representatives from 24 political parties are also expected to meet President Ram Nath Kovind who will include Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar, and Left leaders Sitaram Yechury, D Raja and TR Balu. The leaders are expected to seek President Kovind’s intervention and find a solution to the ongoing farmers’ protest.

Opposition parties, which had objected to the farm laws in parliament, had requested the President earlier not to sign on the bills, saying they were passed in an undemocratic manner in the Rajya Sabha. The President, however, had given his assent to all three bills.

Thousands of farmers who have braved police barricades, water cannons and tear gas are agitating against the new farm laws and are stationed at various Delhi borders. The farmers want the new farm laws to be repealed.

(With agency inputs)

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