Farmers harden stance, say ‘if government is stubborn, so are we’

Farmers will now strategise the next course of protest as agitation will go on unless the Centre decides to withdraw the laws, union leaders said.

As the Centre on Wednesday sent a new proposal, including the assurance of minimum support price, change in the APMC act, tax on private players etc., the protesting farmers hardened their stance and said if the government is stubborn to not withdraw the laws, then the farmers are stubborn too to carry on with their protests. “Farmers won’t go back. It’s a matter of their respect. Will government now withdraw laws? Will there be tyranny? If the government is stubborn, then so are farmers. Laws have to be withdrawn,” Bharatiya Kisan Union national spokesperson Rakesh Tikait said, indicating no thaw in the ongoing stalemate, which has laid siege to the Capital.

Traffic snarl near Rashtriya Prerna Sthal and Green Garden due to a road diversion owing to the ongoing farmers’ protests (Photo by Sunil Ghosh / Hindustan Times)

The farmers’ protests against the three farm laws that they fear would corporatise farming have entered the 14th day on Wednesday, as all the attempts to come to an understanding so far have failed. The farmers now demand a complete withdrawal of the laws while the Centre has made it clear that there will be amendments to the provisions to which the farmers have objection but the laws will not be repealed. Starting from September — after the laws were enacted — there have been five meetings between farmers and the Centre. Three meetings have been held after ‘Dilli Chalo’ protests began on November 26. The sixth meeting scheduled to have taken place on Wednesday was cancelled as no side is ready to blink first.

As the talks began, the farmers expressed their apprehension over the abolition of the MSP, which the government allayed. The Centre also agreed to strength APMC mandis, create a level-playing field with private markets. A provision would be created for farmers to approach higher courts for dispute resolution, the Centre assured. But the situation has now boiled down to the question whether the laws will be withdrawn.

A five-member delegation of the opposition parties including Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, NCP chief Sharad Pawar, a representative of the DMK, CPI general secretary D Raja and CPI(M) general secretary Sita - will meet the President today at 5pm.

As the protests continued, traffic was disrupted at border points with farmers agitating on Singhu, Tikri and Ghazipur borders of Delhi.