Union Ministers have assured farmers’ unions that they are ready to suspend the Farm Acts for one and half years if necessary. However, leaders of 41 farmers’ unions, who have been in talks with union ministers, are pushing for the repeal of the law. They announced that they would discuss with the farmers once again today and reveal their decision to the Centre. Although the Centre did not agree to the repeal of the laws, there was some progress in the negotiations that the implementation of the laws would be suspended for one and a half years and, if necessary, for two years.
The Central Government has held several rounds of talks with the farmers’ unions on the new Farm laws. However, the two sides have not yet come to a decision. Some progress was seen in the talks on Tuesday. Union Ministers have promised to suspend the new agricultural laws for a year and a half. Farmers’ unions have not announced any decision on this.
Farmers’ union leaders said they would discuss and announce their decision to the Centre. They are demanding the repeal of the laws. However, farmers’ unions are likely to take a decision in view of the fact that farmers have been suffering from severe cold and rains on the roads near Delhi for the past two months. The farmers’ unions will hold another round of talks with a group of Union ministers next Friday. It seems likely that both sides will come to a decision at this meeting.
The central government, which has not come forward to repeal the new laws, has come forward to suspend those laws for a year and a half. In other words, the Centre hopes that if the 3 lakh protesting farmers in Delhi are evacuated first, talks can continue later. It is suspected that the Centre has taken this decision with the expectation that after one and a half years, the farmers will not go on strike again.
The farmers’ unions have not announced their decision, though the central government has come forward to suspend the laws for one and a half years and, if necessary, for two years. Even if the Centre steps down, the farmers’ unions will not give up. They express doubts that if these laws are not repealed now, they would never be repealed in future. The leaders of the farmers’ unions will discuss all these among themselves and will reveal their decision to the Centre today.
