Indian farmers, govt to meet again on Saturday after no headway in talks
Farmers fear the government would stop buying grains at guaranteed prices, leaving them at the mercy of private buyers
December 03, 2020
Indian farmers and government representatives will meet again on Saturday, a cabinet minister said, as a fourth round of talks held on Thursday failed to make headway over divisive farm laws.
In India's biggest farm unrest in years, tens of thousands of growers are protesting on the outskirts of the capital Delhi against the laws seeking to rid the sector of antiquated procurement procedures and allow farmers to sell to institutional buyers and big international retailers.
Indian Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said the government will engage with the protesting farmers and look into their concerns, and defended the laws.
"The farm sector acts was not done in a jiffy. Consultations were held over the years, parliamentary committees have discussed it," Sitharaman told the Reuters Global Investment Outlook Summit, 2021.
The farmers, who form a powerful political constituency, fear the laws passed in September could see the government stop buying grains at guaranteed prices, leaving them at the mercy of private buyers.
India's Agriculture & Farmers Welfare Minister Narendra Singh Tomar said Thursday's talks, which lasted seven hours, were cordial and the government was sympathetic.
"We addressed the issues raised by them and we are going to meet again on the 5th," Tomar told reporters.
He added the government would continue the guaranteed price system, but farm leaders have previously sought a written assurance.
"The government did propose amendments to the laws but farmers unions still insisted on taking these laws back," said Kavitha Kuruganti, a leader of the farmers' group All India Kisan Sangarsh Coordination Committee.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government has defended the new laws, and said they only give an option to farmers to sell to private buyers.
Still, the protests pose a crucial test for Modi's ability to reform India's vast agriculture sector, which makes up nearly 15% of the country's $2.9 trillion economy and employs around half of its 1.3 billion people.
"We humbly request you to pay heed to the voice of farmers and withdraw completely the implementation of these Acts," Avik Saha, another farmers' leader, wrote to the government.
"The issue is not about one particular clause, but about the direction in which the government of India is pushing farming in India," Saha wrote.
Farmers refuse to eat lunch with govt officials
At the crucial meeting held on Thursday to arrive at a solution, farmers refused to have lunch with government representatives, NDTV reported.
"At the lunch break, farmers said 'no' to the food offered by the government and stuck to the langar, which was brought in by a waiting van," wrote the publication.
"They offered us food, we denied and are having our langar, which we have brought with us," a farmer leader said. "We are not accepting food or tea offered by the government," said another.
