The Samyukt Kisan Morcha, a platform of farmer unions, wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday, almost four months after talks between the government and protesting farm groups broke down. They asked the Union government to resume dialogue to end the agitation, but they remained firm in their demand to repeal the legislation.
Farmers have been protesting near Delhi’s borders at five locations: Singhu, Ghaziabad, Tikri, Dhansa, and Shahjahanpur on the Rajasthan-Haryana border, demanding the repeal of three laws passed in September last year that eased restrictions on farm produce trade.
Concerns about the spread of Covid-19 infections have been raised as a result of the farmers’ continued protests, but they have refused to give up the fight, citing it as a matter of survival.
“Mr. Prime Minister, this letter is to remind you that, as the head of the government of the largest democracy in the world, the onus of resuming a serious and sincere dialogue with the farmers lies with you,” the letter signed by major farm leaders states.
Balbir Singh Rajewal, Darshan Pal, Gurnam Singh Chadhuni, Hannan Mollah, Jagjit Singh Dallewal, Joginder Singh Ugrahan, Shiv Kumar Kakkaji, Yogendra Yadav, and Yudhvir Singh are among the signatories, all of whom are members of the Samyukt Kisan Morcha’s various farm organisations.
The crisis has remained unsolved despite 11 rounds of talks between 40 farm leaders and the government. On January 22, both the government and the farmers called off the series of talks, citing a lack of progress. The government’s offer to freeze the laws for 18 months was rejected by the unions.
The Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance, Farm Services Act, 2020, and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020 were all passed by the Modi government in September of last year.
