As the farmers' unions of agitating peasants prepare for the second episode of talks with the Center over their demand of repealing the farm bills on Thursday- December 3, Center will be unfolding a crucial meet ahead of the talks as Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh will be meeting Union Home Minister Amit Shah on the morning hours of Thursday at the latter's residence in Delhi.
Amarinder Singh has been supporting the farmers in their demand and the meeting has come at a high time when farmers have been vowing to intensify the protests across Delhi with more farmers from several parts of the country are joining by. Punjab is the first state that torched what now resembles a revolution as farmers are continuing their protests for the eighth straight day.
According to reports, the Punjab Chief Minister will hold talks with Amit Shah to chalk out the efforts to reach an amicable resolution between the government and the farmers. The second round of talks with farmers will be taking place on Thursday in which the representatives of the protesting farmers and the Union Ministers will be talking to reach a consensus.
The meeting between the Home Minister and the Punjab Chief Minister will be unfolded when the farmers have shown no sign of backoffs from the protests. Congress-led Punjab has been sending solidarity to farmers and the state assembly had also passed legislation to revoke the Center's farm bills, which the farmers fear would destroy the grounds that guarantee Minimum Support Price (MSP) and farmers express resilience against the bills which they say would bring the private players into the agricultural sector which will further menace their lives and their produce.
Amarinder Singh had said that he and his government are willing to mediate in the talks between the Center and the farmers in the collective interest and the reports say that Singh would reiterate the same at the meeting with Home Minister Amit Shah. On Wednesday, the leaders of the protesting farmers addressed Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar in which the farmers had demanded a special session of Parliament to repeal the three farm bills without which they won't call off the protests and they also urged the center not to roll out the agenda of dividing and breaking the farmers' unity.
On Tuesday, the Center and the farmers sat down for the first round of talks and it was concluded without reaching any conclusions and consensus. Following the first round of talks, Chanda Singh, who represented the farmers, said, "Our movement against Farm Laws will continue & we'll definitely take back something from the Govt, be it bullets or a peaceful solution. We'll come back for more discussions with them".
On the other hand, Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar, following the meeting, had said, "The meeting was good and we have decided that the talks will be held on 3rd December. We wanted a small group to be constituted but farmers' leaders wanted that the talks should be held with everyone, we do not have a problem with it". The Union Minister further stated "We appeal to the farmers to suspend the protests and come for the talks. However, this decision depends on farmers' unions and farmers".
Earlier, the Central government had refused to repeal the bills by stating that these bills will benefit them. However, the farmers had flayed the center and urged the center not to give them any conditions and demanded to repeal the farm bills. According to ANI, the representatives of the farmers had prepared to meet the center for the second round of talks. A farmer leader says, "35 leaders are going to meet the government. We are educated farmers, we know what is good for us. We want these laws to be withdrawn."
Delhi: Farmers' leaders depart from Singhu border for their meeting the government on farm laws
— ANI (@ANI) December 3, 2020
A farmer leader says, "35 leaders are going to meet the government. We are educated farmers, we know what is good for us. We want these laws to be withdrawn." pic.twitter.com/pmw2NgZGdj
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