Farmer Unions Agree to Hold Talks With Centre on 29 December

The protest over the farm laws entered the 31st day, with the farmer unions demanding a total repeal.

Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) leaders and farmers stage a protest against the central government policies on the first day of the Parliament session, at Delhi-UP border, Monday, 14 September, 2020.

(Photo: PTI)

The protesting farmer unions (Kisan Sanyukt Morcha) held a meeting on Saturday, 26 December, and have decided to schedule the next round of talks with the Centre at 11 am on 29 December over the ongoing protests over the three contentious farm laws.

This is the agenda the farmer unions have suggested:

• Modalities to be adopted for the repeal of the three central farm acts;
• Mechanisms to be adopted to make remunerative MSP recommended by the National Farmers' Commission into a legally guaranteed entitlement for all farmers and all agricultural commodities;
• Amendments to be made and notified in the "Commission for the Air Quality Management in National Capital Region and Adjoining Areas Ordinance, 2020" to exclude farmers from the penal provisions of the Ordinance;
• Changes to be made in the draft Electricity Amendment Bill 2020 to protect the interests of farmers.

The farmer unions asked the Centre to not distort the “true facts about the deliberations in the previous meetings.”

They reiterated their demand for the repeal of the three laws. “The government has distorted our position as if we were asking for amendments to these acts,” the unions said in a letter.

President of Krantikari Kisan Union Darshan Pal said that on 30 December, the farmers will organise a tractor march on the Kundli-Manesar-Palwal highway from Singhu border.

The farmer unions had met on Friday to discuss the government's latest letter inviting them for talks.

The protest over the farm laws entered the 31st day on Saturday.