Monthly Archives: August 2018

New Delhi, December 29 

The Centre and the protesting farmer unions will resume stalled talks on Wednesday with the latter sticking to their hardline position that the parleys will only be on the modalities of repealing the three new agri laws and giving a legal guarantee on the MSP among other issues.

Ahead of the crucial sixth round of talks after a three-week hiatus, Union ministers Narendra Singh Tomar and Piyush Goyal on Tuesday met senior BJP leader and Home Minister Amit Shah. Sources said they discussed and finalised the government’s position for the meeting.

Tomar, the minister for Agriculture, and Goyal, the minister for Food and Consumer Affairs, and MoS Commerce and Industry Som Parkash have been representing the Centre at the talks with the farmers. Tomar on Monday said he hopes for a breakthrough soon.

Also read: Anti-farm law demonstration lathicharged in Patna, several injured

The Centre on Monday invited the 40 protesting farmer unions for the next round of talks on December 30 on all relevant issues to find a “logical solution” with “open mind” to the prolonged impasse over the three new agri laws that was enacted in September.

But in its letter on Tuesday, the Samyukt Kisan Morcha, the umbrella organisation which represents the farmer unions, said the modalities for repealing the three contentious laws and a legal guarantee on minimum support price (MSP) must be part of the agenda.

The Morcha further said the agenda should also include 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 its penal provisions.

Through the letter, the Morcha also formally accepted the government’s invitation for the dialogue.

Also read: Hema Malini pitches for farm laws

The letter also stated that withdrawal of the Electricity Amendment Bill 2020 to protect the interests of farmers should also be part of the agenda.

The fifth round of talks was held on December 5, while the sixth round originally scheduled for December 9 was called off after an informal meeting of Home Minister Shah with some union leaders failed to reach any breakthrough.

The government had, however, followed up Shah’s meeting with a draft proposal sent to the unions in which it had suggested 7-8 amendments to the new laws and written assurance on the MSP procurement system. It has ruled out a repeal of the three agri laws.

In a letter to the farmer unions, Agriculture Secretary Sanjay Aggarwal on Monday invited them for the talks at 2 pm on Wednesday at Vigyan Bhavan in the national capital.

The farmers had also written to the government on December 26 listing the agenda.

In the latest letter, the Morcha pointed out that in its December 26 communication to the government, it had mentioned “changes” by mistake instead of “withdrawal” in the Electricity Amendment Bill 2020.

Also read: Farmer bodies against any act causing damage to mobile towers: BKU Ekta Ugrahan leader

Farmer unions also deferred to Thursday their proposed tractor march against the contentious agriculture laws, so that the rally does not clash with their talks with the government.

Thousands of protesting farmers, mostly from Punjab and Haryana, have been camping at three Delhi border points—Singhu, Ghazipur and Tikri—for the past 31 days, demanding a repeal of the three farm laws and legal guarantee for MSP.

The Congress demanded legal sanctity to the demands of farmers including that on ensuring the MSP.

Addressing a joint press conference, Congress leaders Rajeev Shukla and Govind Dotasra said the government must immediately repeal the three farm laws and bring fresh ones after incorporating the demands of farmers and then get them passed by Parliament.

Shukla also said it was wrong on the part of the government to dub the farmers agitation as political as it is an attempt to defame farmers.

NCP supremo and former agriculture minister Sharad Pawar, meanwhile, accused the Centre of bulldozing the farm laws without consulting states and asserted that agriculture cannot be run “sitting in Delhi” as it involves farmers toiling in distant villages.

Pawar also raised questions about the composition of the three-member ministerial group negotiating with the unions, saying the ruling party should have put forward leaders with “in-depth” understanding of agriculture and farmers’ issues.

In an interview with PTI, the former union minister said the government needs to take the protests seriously and it was “unfair” on the part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to blame opposition parties for the agitation by farmers.

He said the opposition parties will take a call on their future course of action on Wednesday if the government fails to resolve the impasse.

The three farm laws have been projected by the Centre as major reforms in the agriculture sector that will remove middlemen and allow farmers to sell their produce anywhere in the country.

However, the protesting farmers have expressed apprehension that the new laws would pave the way for eliminating the safety cushion of the MSP and do away with the “mandi” (wholesale market) system, leaving them at the mercy of big corporates.

Here is the translated text of the letter originally written in Hindi:

‘Your letter dated 28 December 2020 (No. 105/2020) was received. Thank you for accepting the proposal we sent for the meeting. We accept the invitation to speak at 2:00 pm on 30 December.

We remind you that we are coming to this dialogue to discuss the following agenda mentioned in our previous letter and in the order given below:

1. Modalities to be adopted to repeal / repeal the three Central Agricultural Laws;

2. Procedure and provision for legal guarantee for procurement on profitable MSP suggested by National Farmers Commission for all farmers and agricultural commodities;

3. Amendments to the ‘Commission Ordinance for Air Quality Management in the National Capital Territory and adjoining areas, 2020’ which are necessary to exclude farmers from the penal provisions of the ordinance;

4. Procedure for withdrawal of draft ‘Electricity Amendment Bill 2020’ (amendment: previous letter mistakenly written “necessary changes”) to protect the interests of farmers.

Our dialogue must follow this agenda in order for a “rational solution to the relevant issues”.

Yours faithfully,

Samyukt Kisan Morcha

— Agencies

Pune, December 28

Social activist Anna Hazare has threatened to go on a hunger strike if his demands on issues concerning farmers are not met by the Union government by the end of January next year, and said it would be his “last protest”.

Speaking to reporters in his Ralegaon Siddhi village in Ahmednagar district of Maharashtra on Sunday, Hazare said he had been holding protests for cultivators since the past three years but the government had done nothing to resolve the issues.

“The government is just giving empty promises due to which I do not have any trust left (in the government). Let’s see, what action the Centre takes on my demands. They have sought time for a month, so I have given them time till January-end. If my demands are not met, I will resume my hunger strike protest. This would be my last protest,” the 83-year-old said.

On December 14, Hazare wrote a letter to Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar warning of a hunger strike if his demands like the implementation of the MS Swaminathan Committee’s recommendations and granting autonomy to the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP), were not accepted.

Senior BJP leader and former Maharashtra Assembly Speaker Haribhau Bagade recently met Hazare to explain him the details of the three farm laws introduced by the Centre.

Hazare observed a fast on December 8 in support of the Bharat Bandh called by farmer organisations demanding a repeal of the agri laws.

Farmers have been protesting at borders of Delhi for over a month against the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020, the Farmers Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020.

The three farm laws, enacted in September, have been projected by the government as major reforms in the agriculture sector that will remove middlemen and allow farmers to sell anywhere in the country.

However, the protesting tillers have expressed apprehension that the new laws would pave the way for eliminating the safety cushion of Minimum Support Price and do away with the mandis, leaving them at the mercy of big corporates. The Centre has repeatedly asserted that these mechanisms will remain. PTI

New Delhi, December 28 

Army Chief Gen MM Naravane on Monday left for South Korea on a three-day visit during which he will hold talks with the top defence brass of the country on ways to expand bilateral military cooperation, officials said.

South Korea has been a major supplier of military platforms and weapons to India.

The Chief of Army Staff’s visit to South Korea comes two weeks after concluding a six-day crucial tour of the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia that reflected India’s growing strategic ties with the two influential Gulf nations.

In the South Korean capital, Seoul, Gen Naravane is scheduled to meet the country’s minister for national defence, army chief and chairman of joint chiefs of staff, the officials said.

The Chief of Army Staff will also meet South Korea’s minister of defence acquisition planning administration (DAPA).

Gen Naravane will discuss avenues for enhancing defence relations between India and the Republic of Korea, the Army said in a statement.

The Army Chief will also visit the Korea Combat Training Centre in Gangwon province and Advance Defence Development (ADD) facility at Daejeon.

Last month, Gen Naravane travelled to Nepal on a three-day visit that had significant diplomatic overtones.

In October, the Chief of Army Staff, accompanied by Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla, travelled to Myanmar during which India decided to supply an attack submarine to the Myanmar Navy besides agreeing to further deepen military and defence ties. PTI

Chandigarh, December 27

In protest against the three farm laws enacted by the Centre, the farmers are planning an alternative Republic Day parade on tractors in Delhi. As per a proposal taken up by a group of 32 farmer organisations at their last meeting, farmers will hold a ‘kisan parade’ to mark Republic Day.

The proposals

• During the parade, the farmers plan to take out a tractor rally in Delhi
• Another proposal under consideration is to hold the Tricolour and march on the Capital roads

During the parade, the farmers plan to march on the roads of Delhi atop tractors. Another proposal being considered is to hold the Tricolour and march on the roads of Delhi. The proposal may also be taken up by the All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee.

A senior leader of one of the farmer organisations said: “We want to tell people this government does not have the moral right to hold R-Day functions.” — TNS