The fifth round of parleys between the government and farmer leaders remained inconclusive yesterday with both sides adamant on their stand over the three contentious farm laws. 
The next meet is scheduled on December 9 with farmers giving a ‘Bharat Bandh’ call on December 8.
Heated arguments and written placards in “Yes or No” were raised at the five-hour meeting that began at 2pm at Vigyan Bhawan in Central Delhi. After multiple obstacles, the talks finally ended inconclusively as the farmers stuck to their first and major demand to repeal the three farm laws enacted in September during the Monsoon Session of Parliament.
As the government could not put up a satisfactory solution to the demands of 40 farmer union leaders, who took part in the meeting, the delegation clearly communicated that the protest will continue if the government doesn’t repeal the three laws which they said are “anti-farmer”.
While the government was agreeable to amendments to The Farmers Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020; The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020; and The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020, farmers were pushing for the scrapping of these laws.
Farmer leaders communicated that they will hold “Bharat Bandh” on December 8 as their demands haven’t been met.
Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar, Consumer Affairs Minister Piyush Goyal, Union Minister of State Som Prakash and Agriculture Secretary Sanjay Agarwal were also present in the meeting, like in the previous rounds of talks on December 1 and 3 which were also remained inconclusive.
The farmers had put out a five-point charter of demands that include framing of a specific law on MSP, no punishment for stubble-burning, repeal of the three farm laws, settlement of objections about proposed Electricity (Amendment) Act, 2020 and written assurance on Minimum Suppport Price (MSP)


Anger evident as farmers spurn government’s invitation to lunch


A clear signal of resentment was witnessed even after the first two hours of discussion as the fifth round of talks between government and farmers got underway yesterday when 40 representatives of different unions from Punjab and Haryana took a ‘langar lunch’ outside the venue dismissing invitation to the meal offered by the central government representative once again.
The farmer unions from Krantikari Kisan Union President Darshan Pal, Jamoohari Kisan Sabha General Secretary Kulwant Singh Sandhu, Bharatiya Kisan Sabha President Boota Singh, Kulhind Kisan Sabha General Secretary Baldev Singh were among various farmer union leaders who had their lunch on the floor of Vigyan Bhawan.
At the 4pm break, they enjoyed their lunch brought by their supporters from the ‘langars’ outside the venue.
Once again they refused to partake of the lunch provided by the Centre, a signal that the discussion during the crucial meeting is still not as per expectations of the farmers who have announced a ‘Bharat Bandh” on December 8 if the matter was not resolved by then. In the fourth round of talks on December 3, the farmers had refused to have lunch with the government representatives as they thrashed out their charter of demands.
Yesterday’s talks began at 2pm. The refusal to share lunch indicated farmers would not take any favour from the government till their demands were met.
The farmers’ demand includes framing of a specific law on Minimum Support Price (MSP), and a written assurance on it, ending the punishment provision for stubble burning, repealing three contentious farm laws passed in September during the Monsoon Session of Parliament, and stalling the upcoming Electricity (Amendment) Act, 2020.
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