New Delhi—As farmers’ agitation against the contentious laws passed by the Centre entered the fourth day on Sunday, they have huddled together for crucial meeting in the morning to discuss further course of action after Home Minister Amit Shah reached out to them for talks Saturday.
Thousands of farmers from Punjab and Haryana continue to camp at the Singhu and Tikri border points, with their numbers swelling every passing day as protesters from Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh are reaching the national capital to join them.
“We will deliberate upon how to put forth our demands with the Centre. We are willing to hold talks only if the Centre invites us,” said Ruldu Singh, state president of Punjab Kisan Union, one among the 500 similar organisations that have been protesting at the border for four days now. Listing out the demands, Singh said that apart from withdrawal of the new agricultural laws, they also want roll back on Electricity Amendment Bill(2020). “It is a crucial meeting that will shape how to move forward. Whatever the outcome, we are not going to move from here,” said Baldev Singh, a Barnala-based farmer who has travelled more than 400 km to reach Tikri Border. “Our children’s future is at stake. We are with Centre if it wants to end this deadlock but not at the cost of our survival,” Sarvpreet Cheema who has come from Jalandhar stressed.
Meanwhile, Ruldu Singh maintained that discussion with the Centre is not going to be a cakewalk. “We know that the government is not going to accept all our demands. Our major demand is getting the three laws revoked but we also want the Electricity Amendment Bill(2020) withdrawn,” he said, adding that if the government does not concede to revocation of the agricultural laws, then they will insist of legalising MSP for purchase of every crop.
In a video message on Saturday, Shah had appealed to farmers, assuring them that the Centre was ready to hold talks with them. “I appeal to the protesting farmers… The agriculture minister has called them for discussion on December 3. The Union government is willing to deliberate upon their problems and demands,” he said. The Home Minister, however, said that if the agitators wanted to hold an early round of talks, they will have to shift their protest to the designated government site. “As soon as you shift the protest to the decided place, I assure you that we will hold talks the very next day.”
The farmers who have been up in arms with the Centre, on the hand, have refused to move to Burari ground. “We are not going to budge an inch from here. Protests are at Ram Lila Ground and Jantar Mantar, not a private ground. Why should we go to Nirankari Bhawan?,” Bharatiya Kisan Union president Naresh Takait who joined the protesters from Punjab yesterday, said. “We have travelled all the way from interiors of Punjab to raise our voice, not to be relegated in a non-descript corner like Burari where no one will bother about our protest. We are not going anywhere,” said Parminder Rajounda of Sangrur.
