Farmers Protest Delhi Live : Centre, farmers must ensure ego do not come in way of resolving differences, says Uma Bharati

Farmers Protest Delhi Live : Centre, farmers must ensure ego do not come in way of resolving differences, says Uma Bharati

Farmers Protest Delhi Live : Centre, farmers must ensure ego do not come in way of resolving differences, says Uma Bharati

New Delhi : On their 11th meeting over the three contentious farm laws, the farmer unions Friday told the government they want a complete repeal of the legislations while the Centre asked them to reconsider its proposal for putting the Acts on hold for 12-18 months. “We told the government that we will not agree to anything other than the repeal of the laws. But the minister asked us to discuss separately again and rethink on the matter and convey the decision,” farmer leader Darshan Pal told PTI during a break after the first session of their meet.

The 11th round of talks between the central government and farmer unions is underway at Vigyan Bhavan in New Delhi to try and resolve the impasse over the newly-enacted farm laws.

During their previous meeting on Thursday, farmer unions rejected the Centre’s proposal to keep the laws in abeyance for 18 months, and reiterated their demand for repeal of the laws. However, sources told The Indian Express, nearly half the farm leaders were in favour of accepting the offer. Two days ago, Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar had said he believed the talks were moving in a “meaningful direction”, and “we expect to move towards a solution on January 22.”

Farmers are gearing up for their tractor parade on Republic Day, when lakhs are expected to rally on a 16-17 km stretch of Delhi’s Outer Ring Road. During a meeting with the Delhi Police on Thursday, farmers were requested to reconsider their proposed route, and hold it at the protest sites at Singhu or Tikri or on the Eastern and Western Peripheral Expressways. Farmers are planning to set up tableaus of all states on tractor-trolleys during the parade.

Meanwhile, the Supreme Court-appointed expert committee spoke to farmer organisations for the first time via video-conference on Thursday. It said it interacted with farmers from eight states, and received “suggestions to improve implementation of the Acts”. The farmer unions, it said, “gave their frank opinion including suggestions to improve the implementation of Acts”.

LIVE BLOG

Farmers' Protest Live News Updates: Govt-farmers talks today; preparations for tractor parade in New Delhi on Republic Day; Supreme Court-appointed expert committee receives suggestions on farm laws; and more. Follow latest news and updates below:

15:50 (IST)

22 JAN 2021

   

Govt asks farm leaders to reconsider proposal for suspending laws

On their 11th meeting over the three contentious farm laws, the farmer unions Friday told the government they want a complete repeal of the legislations while the Centre asked them to reconsider its proposal for putting the Acts on hold for 12-18 months. “We told the government that we will not agree to anything other than the repeal of the laws. But the minister asked us to discuss separately again and rethink on the matter and convey the decision,” farmer leader Darshan Pal told PTI during a break after the first session of their meet.

15:28 (IST)

22 JAN 2021

   

Don't let "ego" come in way of breaking farm laws impasse: Uma

Senior BJP leader Uma Bharti on Friday said the Centre and protesting farmers should ensure that stubbornness and ego do not come in the way of resolving differences over the new agri-marketing laws. The former Union minister said it is after a gap of more than 30 years that farmers have gathered near Delhi to push for their demands. It is an opportunity for both the government and farmers. Stubbornness and ego from both sides should not come in the way (of finding a solution to impasse over new laws), she told reporters at her bungalow here. --PTI

14:12 (IST)

22 JAN 2021

   

Tractor parade on Republic Day to be held on Delhi's Outer Ring Road

Lakhs of farmers from different parts of the country are expected to join the tractor parade in New Delhi on Republic Day. The parade on January 26 will be held on Outer Ring Road, and won't interrupt the official Republic Day parade, farm leaders said. Farmers have also planned to set up tableaus on tractor-trolleys during their parade. Read more here

13:53 (IST)

22 JAN 2021

   

Tomar hopeful govt-farmer talks will move towards a solution today

Farmers Protest Delhi Live : Centre, farmers must ensure ego do not come in way of resolving differences, says Uma Bharati

Farmers Protest Delhi Live : Centre, farmers must ensure ego do not come in way of resolving differences, says Uma Bharati

Three Union Ministers are leading the talks with farmers today, Narendra Singh Tomar, Piyush Goyal and Som Prakash. The talks started just after 1 pm. So far, all rounds of talks have remained inconclusive. On Wednesday, Tomar said he believed the talks were moving in a “meaningful direction”, and “we expect to move towards a solution on January 22.”

13:41 (IST)

22 JAN 2021

   

Yashwant Sinha tweets: Govt does not have power to keep laws in abeyance

Former Union minister Yashwant Sinha says the government does not have the power to keep laws in abeyance, and can only repeal them.

Govt does not have the power to keep a law passed by Parliament in abeyance specially when it's rules have been notified. Such a law can only be repealed.

— Yashwant Sinha (@YashwantSinha) January 22, 2021

13:28 (IST)

22 JAN 2021

   

Govt-farmer talks begin

The eleventh round of talks between the government and farmer unions is underway in Delhi.

The 11th round of talks between the government and representatives of farmer unions begins at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi.@IndianExpress @iepunjab pic.twitter.com/XsBT1jerVH

— Harikishan Sharma (@harikishan1) January 22, 2021

13:00 (IST)

22 JAN 2021

   

Explained: 5 reasons why the government decided to put farm laws on hold

After a round of internal discussions on Thursday, farmer unions rejected the government’s offer on keeping the farm laws on hold. But why did the government offer this in the first place? Liz Mathew lists 5 reasons:

SC's move to stay the implementation of the law

RSS leadership’s public statement calling for “sensitivity” 

Sangh leadership’s open call could embolden those “disapproving voices” inside the party

The tractor rally on Republic Day

Upcoming Parliament session

12:38 (IST)

22 JAN 2021

   

Pause or repeal farm laws: Govt may have to go back to SC or Parliament

At Ghazipur, on the Delhi-UP border, on Thursday

As farmers reject the government's proposal to keep the three contentious farm laws in abeyance for 18 months, experts have raised questions over the legislative options the Government has going forward. The laws, passed by Parliament in September last year, were notified in the official gazette on September 27 after President Ram Nath Kovind gave his assent. While Parliament can repeal the law, there is no vocabulary in the Constitution or Parliamentary procedure for keeping a law in abeyance. Read Apurva Vishwanath and Liz Mathew's report

12:01 (IST)

22 JAN 2021

   

At CWC meet, Sonia Gandhi targets Govt over farmers' protest

During the Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting, Sonia Gandhi has targeted the government over the ongoing farmers’ agitation, saying it has shown "shocking insensitivity and arrogance going through the charade of consultations".

“It is abundantly clear that the three laws were prepared in haste and Parliament was consciously denied an opportunity for examining in any meaningful details their implications and impacts. Our position has been very clear from the very beginning: we reject them categorically because they will destroy the foundations of food security that are based on the three pillars of MSP, public procurement and PDS,” she said. Read more here

11:39 (IST)

22 JAN 2021

   

Karnataka farmers plan massive tractor rally in Bengaluru on Republic Day

Kodihalli Chandrashekhar, leader of Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha (KRRS), a farmers’ movement, said there would be over 10,000 tractors participating in the parade on January 26. “Around 25,000 farmers will enter Bengaluru and reach Freedom Park through the main roads of the city via Yeshwanthpur and Malleswaram. The parade will be held from Nelamangala to Bengaluru, with farmers arriving in more than 10,000 tractors and other vehicles. The parade is planned to begin soon after the chief minister hoists the national flag,” he said. Read more here

10:42 (IST)

22 JAN 2021

   

Farmers reject Centre's proposal to stay farm laws

Representatives of the central government and farmer unions will meet today for another round of talks over the farm laws. During their last meeting yesterday, farmer unions rejected the Centre's proposal to keep the laws in abeyance for 18 months, and reiterated their demand for repeal of the laws. 

farmer protest, farmers news, farmers news, farmers govt meeting, farmers govt talks, Government-farmers meeting, farmers protest in delhi, delhi farmers protest, farmers protest in delhi, farmers government meeting today Farmers sit in protest against the new farm bill at Singhu border, New Delhi, on Tuesday January 19, 2021 Express photo by Abhinav Saha.

Farmers have been protesting in the national capital for over 50 days now. They are demanding the repeal of three farm laws which were enacted last September: The Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, and The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act.

Earlier this week, the Centre had suggested keeping the laws in abeyance for 18 months, and offered to form a joint committee of government and farmer representatives to address grievances.

Emerging from the talks, Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar said: "As you are aware, the Supreme Court has stayed the agriculture reform laws for a short duration. Their implementation will not happen for some time. In the past and even today, we told them that more time is needed to consider the laws in detail, discuss various aspects related to the agitation. And the required time may be six months, one year or one-and-half years.

"The government is ready to put on hold the implementation of the laws for one, one-and-half years. During this period, the government and farmer representatives shall find a solution. Whatever the solution, it should be taken forward," he added.

A day later, farmers unions rejected the proposal. However, sources told The Indian Express that of the 32 unions from Punjab, more than a dozen were in favour of accepting the offer, but the majority vote carried the resolution to reject the offer.

A statement on behalf of the Samyukt Kisan Morcha, the umbrella body of organisations spearheading the protest, released by Darshan Pal of Krantikari Kisan Union, stated: “In a full general body meeting of the Samyukt Kisan Morcha today, the proposal put forth by the Government yesterday was rejected. A full repeal of three central farm acts and enacting a legislation for remunerative MSP for all farmers were reiterated as the pending demands of the movement.”