Sreya Kanugula
After the seventh round of negotiations between the Central government and the farmers protesting against the new laws, showed inconclusive results; Narendra Tomar, the Minister of Agriculture stated that the laws shall not be rescinded.
Besides Tomar, the Union Ministers of State for Commerce, Som Prakash as well as Railways, Consumer Affairs and Food, Piyush Goyal, were also part of this meeting with around 40 unions representing the farmers at New Delhi.
Sarwan Singh Padher, a representative of the Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee stated that the farmers should seek the Supreme Court’s intervention to see the laws repealed.
He urged Punjab’s youth to stay for the long haul in this race. Also that they will conduct a huge peaceful tractor procession, especially on Republic Day to emphasize their seriousness. This was stated at a previous press conference arranged by the Samyukt Kisan Morcha, the joint representation of all 40 farmer unions that have continued to protest at the capital’s borders for more than a month.
January 8, Friday is the next date scheduled for the 8th round of negotiations and meetings between both sides.
Rakesh Tikait, the leader of the Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) informed the press that the meeting’s first hour was entirely focused upon the three laws in question.
He participated in the discussions and emphasized that they will not concur to different alternatives besides the rescinding of the laws. No, not even to any committees set up to look into them.
The farmer union’s leaders have also stated before that in the case of the talks not succeeding on the 4th of Jan, they will arrange a ‘march/parade’ from the Singhu border to Delhi. The arrangements for tractor rallies from January 6 to January 20, the burning of the new farm laws on Lohri (January 13), and the celebration of Mahila Kisan Diwas on January 18 are also part of their plans.