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'No chance of further improvement on farm laws', says farmer unions
The farmer unions have been maintaining that they were ready to attend the scheduled talks with the government, even as they have said they do not want to appear before the court-appointed panel and have also questioned its composition.
Ahead of the ninth round of farm talks, farmer unions on Friday said there is no chance of further improvement on the laws and they don't have much expectation.
"We don't expect much. Last round of talks with govt failed & now they've got the opportunity to get help from court. I think govt is not going to advance the discussions. There is no chance of further improvement on 3 farm laws, said Hannah Mollah, General Secretary, All India Kisan Sabha, according to news agency ANI.
Bhartiya Kisan Union (Ekta Ugrahan) Joginder Singh Ugrahan told PTI, "We are going to hold talks with the government tomorrow. We don't have much hope from the Friday meeting as the government will cite the SC-appointed panel. The government doesn't have good intention to resolve our issues."
Singh said that the unions do not want any committee, adding "we just want a complete repeal of three farm laws and legal guarantee on minimum support price for our crops."
He said that farmers will not call off their protest until their demands are met.
Another farmer leader, Abhimanyu Kohar said that government knows that the court cannot repeal the laws and added that the Centre should stop playing with the sentiments of farmers who have been camping at several Delhi borders since November 28.
He said that forming a committee is not a solution, adding that the new farm laws have been enacted by Parliament and the court cannot do much.
While the previous eight rounds of negotiations have failed to end the protests continuing for several weeks on various borders of the national capital, Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar said yesterday that the government is hopeful of positive discussions at Friday's scheduled meeting.
The farmer unions have been maintaining that they were ready to attend the scheduled talks with the government, even as they have said they do not want to appear before the court-appointed panel and have also questioned its composition.
The top court has also kept the farm laws in abeyance to “assuage the hurt feelings of farmers”.
