At least 10 organisations representing farmers from Uttar Pradesh, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Bihar and Haryana and associated with the All India Kisan Coordination Committee (AIKCC) on Monday met Union agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar to lend their support to the three farm laws and advised to allow the existing mandi system under the control of State Government in Punjab and other States which were opposing it. This is the fifth group of farmers who have extended support to the laws in the last one week.
After the meeting, the agriculture Minister said that the Government is engaging with farmers’ leaders to decide on the next date of talks. “The Government is ready for discussion anytime. The farmer leaders have to ‘decide and convey’ when they are ready for the next meeting,” Tomar added.
“We tried to convince farmers and farmer unions’ leaders. Our wish is that they come for clause-by-clause discussion. If they are ready to express their views clause by clause, we are ready for discussion,” he said. Tomar also met Home Minister Amit Shah and discussed the way forward to end the deadlock.
Led by its General Secretary Gunavath Patil Hangergekar, the AIKCC, which has presence in 28 States, submitted a representation to the Agriculture Minister seeking continuation of the three farm laws, though with some amendments.
The farmers unions have urged the Government to encourage those States who are ready to implement the agri reforms. They also demanded to abolish the essential commodities Act.
On Sunday, a delegation of more than 100 farmers from Uttarakhand had extended their support to the laws. Before that, a delegation of 29 farmers from Haryana met Tomar on Saturday to extend their support to the new legislations and threatened to stage a protest if those are repealed. The delegation, led by Bharatiya Kisan Union’s (Mann) Haryana State leader Guni Prakash, submitted a “letter of support” to Tomar on the farm laws passed by Parliament in September and demanded the Government to continue with these legislations.
Last week, farmers, representing Har Kisan, an organisation of 116 farmer-owned agricultural enterprises known as farmer producer organisations, met the agriculture minister and asked for a separate meeting with him with more members.