The Union government has invited at least 31 farmers’ organisations and their leaders from Punjab for talks in the national capital on October 14, the second attempt in a month to reach out to farmers protesting against a set of laws enacted by Parliament to liberalise agricultural markets.
The government has proposed talks by a team led by agriculture secretary Sanjay Agarwal, who signed off on the letter of invitation to the farm leaders on October 10. The top bureaucrat in the agriculture ministry wrote to farmers’ organisations in Punjab on October 8 for a meeting, which was rejected.
Farmers’ groups said they did not participate in the meeting because in its October 8 letter, the government had said that “farmers had misunderstood the laws”. “Farmers very well understand the laws and the intention behind them, which is why we rejected the meeting,” said Avik Saha, the coordinator of the All-India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee, an umbrella platform of protesting farmers’ groups in Punjab and Haryana.
Saha said farm organizations then received a redrafted, two-line letter from the agriculture secretary on October 10. “In Punjab, farmers have been agitating over issues related to agriculture over past several days. The government of India has always been serious about agriculture and farmers. This is why the government is interested in holding talks with you,” the letter from the farm secretary, which HT has reviewed, states.
The AIKSCC said it would not participate in talks unless key demands are met. “We are preparing our charter of demands which we will release soon,” said Balbir Singh Rajewal of the Bharatiya Kisan Union (Rajewal faction). Saha said “there can be no talks on the merit of these laws”. He said the pre-conditions farmers will set are (a) repeal of the laws, (b) legal backing for minimum support prices (MSPs) and (c) any talks will have to be with a committee authorized by the Cabinet.
{{/usCountry}}The AIKSCC said it would not participate in talks unless key demands are met. “We are preparing our charter of demands which we will release soon,” said Balbir Singh Rajewal of the Bharatiya Kisan Union (Rajewal faction). Saha said “there can be no talks on the merit of these laws”. He said the pre-conditions farmers will set are (a) repeal of the laws, (b) legal backing for minimum support prices (MSPs) and (c) any talks will have to be with a committee authorized by the Cabinet.
{{/usCountry}}Influential farm leaders from Punjab invited to the talks include Balbir Singh Rajewal, head of the Bharatiya Kisan Union (Rajewal), Ruldu Singh Mansa, president of Punjab Kisan Union, Major Singh Punnawal of the Kulhind Kisan Sabha and Indrajit Singh Kot Buddha of Kisan Sangharsh Committee.