The ninth round of talks between the Central government and protesting farmer unions will take place on Friday as scheduled. Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar said that the Centre is looking forward to positive discussions with the farmers. He said that the government is ready to hold discussions with farmer union leaders with an open mind.
Earlier, talks between the farmer unions and the government did not make much headway in breaking the deadlock, with the former taking a maximalist position of repeal the law or nothing.
Bharti Kisan Union (Lakhowal) general secretary Harinder Singh Lakhowal, who is part of the farmers’ delegation, said the farmer unions will hold discussions with the government on Friday as scheduled.
When asked on the main point of discussion during the talks, Lakhowal replied that farmers have two demands, the first is the repeal of the three farm laws, once this is met then the farmers will place their second demand.
However, farmer unions have consistently maintained that they won’t appear before the court-appointed panel, as the members favour the laws.
Earlier in the day, Bhartiya Kisan Union president Bhupinder Singh Mann said he is recusing himself from the four-member committee.
Expressing gratitude to the Supreme Court for nominating him on the panel, Mann said he would give up any position to prevent farmers’ interests from being compromised.
“As a farmer myself and a union leader, in view of the prevailing sentiments and apprehensions amongst the farm unions and the public in general, I am ready to sacrifice any position offered or given to me so as to not compromise the interests of Punjab and farmers of the country,” he said in an unsigned statement. “I am recusing myself from the committee and I will always stand with my farmers and Punjab,” he added.
Protesting farmer leaders welcomed Bhartiya Mann’s decision to recuse himself from the committee. They reiterated that they do not want any panel and will not settle for anything less than the repeal of the three farm laws. Some leaders also invited Mann to join the agitation against the legislations.
“Mann’s decision is a good step as there is no importance of any committee for farmer unions as it has not been our demand. Mann knew that no farmer union would appear before the court-appointed committee that’s why he has taken this decision,» farmer leader Gurnam Singh Chaduni said.
Apart from Mann, Shetkari Sanghatana (Maharashtra) president Anil Ghanwat, International Food Policy Research Institute’s Pramod Kumar Joshi and agricultural economist Ashok Gulati have been appointed by the apex court on the expert panel.
Thousands of farmers, mainly from Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh, have been agitating at various Delhi borders since the last week of November.