New Delhi, (Samajweekly) As thousands of farmers continued their protest for the 17th day on Saturday against the three contentious farm laws, a group of farmers from Haryana accepted the Centre’s proposal for necessary amendments in these laws which are at the centre of the deadlock.
More than a dozen farmers from Haryana FPO (Farmer Producer Organisation) and Jagruk and Pragatiseel Kisan union gave a signed written acceptance to Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar during a meeting with him at his Ministry.
They accepted the government’s proposal for amendments in the Farmers Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020; The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020; and The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020 which were enacted in September during the Monsoon Session of Parliament.
In their six-point acceptance letter, the farmers said “we are ready to continue with the three farm laws enacted by the government with its proposed amendments.”
“These laws should be continued with the new amendment proposals sent by the Central government to the farmers. We support the demands raised by agitating farmers regarding continuation of Minimum Support Price (MSP) and Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC),” the letter mentioned.
The farmers urged the Central government to come up with amendments in the three laws as proposed by it, and ensure that their demands are fulfilled on time and their issues are heard properly.
The development comes two days after the government’s detailed proposal accepting the farmers’ various key demands were rejected by the agitators adamant on the repeal of the three farm laws, calling them “black laws” and “anti-farmer”.
The government proposed to make the necessary amendments in these laws accepting the demands of the farmers to continue MSP and APMC.
The acceptance of the government’s proposal by a group of farmers indicates that the deadlock may be resolved very soon.
However, earlier attempts by the government during the five rounds of talks with the farmers remained inconclusive.
Meanwhile, thousands of farmers from over 32 farm organisations are still sitting on the roads under open skies braving the chilly weather, seeking withdrawal of the three laws with the threat to take the agitation to a ‘pan-India’ level.
The organisations, which accepted the government’s proposal, are separate from these 32 unions.
