‘No point in discussing rejected offers’ Protesting farmers tie talks to concrete proposal

The cultivators announced their decision to soldier on for the repeal of the three farm laws, squarely blaming the Narendra Modi dispensation for the continuing stalemate

A child holds up a poster at the farmers’ protest at the Singhu border : Prem Singh

Anita Joshua   |   TT   |   New Delhi   |    24.12.20  :  The Sanyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) said on Wednesday that it would require a concrete proposal to return to the negotiating table, not a repetition of the amendments that it had already rejected.

The protesting farmers announced their decision to soldier on for the repeal of the three farm laws, squarely blaming the Narendra Modi dispensation for the continuing stalemate.

“We request you to send a concrete proposal in writing, instead of repeating rejected proposals around meaningless amendments, so that it can be made into our agenda for resuming negotiations,” the SKM said in its letter to the agriculture secretary, underscoring that farmers are ready for talks and “waiting for the government to undertake these dialogues with an open heart, open mind, sincerity and honesty”.

The letter is in response to the secretary’s open invitation on Sunday for talks at a time of their choosing.

“The government is sending letters galore just to mislead the nation by saying that it is the farmers who are not agreeing. What is the point of sending us the very same proposal that we have rejected in successive meetings?” asked Gurnam Singh Chanduni of the Haryana unit of the Bharatiya Kisan Union.

Urging the government to address the issue in good faith and with an open mind, the farmers have sought to expose the ill-intentions that are stark in the letter sent to them on Sunday.

For starters, the farmers have taken offence to the agriculture secretary asking whether an earlier communication received from the SKM in the name of Darshan Pal was his individual view or that of all the organisations.

That the secretary should have asked such a question when the communication had clearly specified that Pal was writing on behalf of the SKM — which is the banner under which the ongoing agitation of nearly 500 farmers’ organisations and collectives are being held — has irked the farmers who see it as yet another effort to raise doubts about their movement.

Wednesday’s response also articulates the disappointment within the farming community over the repeated efforts by the government to malign their movement. “The government has resorted to trickery and manipulation. In addition, the government is constantly trying to be divisive by holding parallel talks with so-called farmer leaders and organisations that exist only on paper.…”

The protesting farmers at the Singhu border between Delhi and Haryana on Wednesday

Prem Singh

As always, the farmers have made it clear that there is no going back on their demand for the repeal of the three laws, besides the enactment of a law to guarantee minimum support price for 23 crops in line with the formula suggested by the M.S. Swaminathan Commission.

Yudhvir Singh, a farmer leader from Uttar Pradesh, warned that the government was playing with fire by prolonging the issue indefinitely. “Many of us have children in the forces. They are getting demoralised by the treatment that is being meted out to their fathers, mothers and siblings by the government,” he said, adding that the Uttar Pradesh government has been particularly harsh on the protesters.

He was referring in particular to farmers being stopped by Uttar Pradesh police at the Moradabad toll plaza when they were trying to proceed towards the border with Delhi in Ghaziabad.

Not only were the farmers selectively prevented from moving ahead, the local administration also forced the closure of the eateries on the roadside, the protesters alleged.

Literally left out in the cold by the government, farmers view Wednesday’s cabinet announcement that the Prime Minister would release the next instalment under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi on Friday as rubbing salt to injury.

According to the cabinet decision, Rs 18,000 crore will be transferred to more than nine crore beneficiary farmer families. Under this scheme, a financial benefit of Rs 6,000 a year is provided to the eligible beneficiary farmers, payable in three equal four-monthly instalments of Rs 2,000 each.

“What are they tom-tomming about? For a family of five, this amounts to a few rupees,” said one farmer leader.

He added: “Humein daan nahi, daam chahiye (we don’t want charity, we want fair price for our crops).”