‘Most Farmers Favour New Laws’: Tomar Ahead of Next Round of Talks

The next round of talks between the Centre and the farmers’ unions over the farm laws will be held on 19 January.

Farmers Protest: The discussions took place over the laws in a cordial atmosphere, but couldn’t reach a decisive state, Tomar said.

(Photo: The Quint)

On Sunday, 17 January, Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Tomar said that most of the farmers and experts are in favour of the farm laws. The next round of talks between the Centre and the farmers’ unions over the three contentious agriculture laws will be held on Tuesday.

“Most of the farmers and experts are in favour of farm laws. After Supreme Court's order, the laws cannot be implemented. Now we expect that farmers discuss the laws clause-wise on 19 January and tell government what they want other than the repeal of the laws,” ANI quoted the minister as saying.

He further told ANI that the government had sent a proposal to farmers’ unions in which “we agreed to address their apprehensions regarding mandis, traders’ registration and others.”

“The government also agreed to discuss laws on stubble burning and electricity but unions only want repeal of the laws,” he added.

The ninth round of talks between the Centre and the farmers’ unions concluded on Friday, 15 January, with the Union agriculture minister saying they were not decisive.

The Supreme Court, on 12 January, stayed the implementation of the Centre’s three farm laws till further notice, and constituted its expert committee which will take inputs from all the relevant stakeholders regarding the protests and the farmers’ concerns.

However, Bharatiya Kisan Union spokesperson Rakesh Tikait had told ANI, “We will not go to the Committee constituted by the Supreme Court. We’ll talk to the central government only.

Meanwhile, Bhupinder Singh Mann, the National President of the Bharatiya Kisan Union (Mann) and Chairman of the All India Kisan Coordination Committee (AIKCC) on Thursday, had recused himself from the 4-member committee.

“Since protesting farmers have announced not to appear before the committee, there is no point in being part of it,” Mann said on Friday about his decision, speaking to ANI.

On Monday, the Supreme Court is scheduled to hear the application filed by the Centre, through Delhi Police, seeking to stop the proposed tractor rally on 26 January.

(With inputs from ANI)