Centre Postpones 10th Round of Talks with Farmer Leaders to 20 Jan

The tenth rounds of talks will be held at 2pm on Wednesday, 20 January at Vigyan Bhavan.

The talks have been delayed by one day. Image used for representation.

(Photo: PTI)

The tenth round of talks between the Centre and farmers’ unions over the three contentious agriculture laws will be held at 2 pm on Wednesday, 20 January at Vigyan Bhavan.

The talks have been delayed by one day. Narendra Singh Tomar, the Union Agriculture Minister said the unions were asked to submit a draft of their demands to the Centre, which the government would consider with an ‘open mind’, reported ANI.

Minister of State for Agriculture Parshottam Rupala finds that the negotiation talks have been delayed because of different idealogies entering the discussion and wanting a ‘solution in their own way’.

Speaking to PTI, Rupala said, “It is different when farmers talk to us directly. When leaders get involved, then it becomes difficult. There could have been an early solution if the discussions were held with farmers directly. Both sides want a solution, but they have different points of view and hence it is taking more time. But a definite solution will emerge.”

Thousands of farmers have been camping at Delhi’s borders in the brutal winter for the past few months, protesting against the three laws. The Supreme Court had earlier stayed the three controversial farm laws and formed a committee to look into the grievances of the farmers. The first meeting of the panel is on Tuesday, 19 January.

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So far, the previous talks have not reached any conclusion since the protesting farmers have continued to call for a complete repeal of the new agriculture laws and the government has not yet agreed to their demands. The ninth round of talks between the Centre and the farmers’ unions over the three contentious agriculture laws concluded on Friday, 15 January, with Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar saying they were not decisive.

Separately, the Supreme Court on Monday, 18 January, adjourned the Centre’s petition filed through the Delhi Police – seeking an injunction on the farmers’ tractor rally that is scheduled for Republic Day – to Wednesday. The court indicated that entry into Delhi is a law and order issue, which they cannot address. The Chief Justice of India, Sharad Arvind Bobde, added that the court's intervention on this aspect appears to be misunderstood.

The ‘Republic Day tractor rally’ planned by the agitating farmers, in protest of the three contentious farm laws, is intended to build pressure on the central government against the implementation of what the farmers call ‘anti-farm’ laws.

(With inputs from ANI and PTI)