Farmers’ protest enters 14th day, talks with Amit Shah fail; today's meeting called off

New Delhi: Farmers’ agitation against the Centre’s three contentious farm laws entered day 14 on Wednesday indicating the involvement of the government's highest level to resolve the deadlock over the contentious farm laws - failed, with both sides remaining firm on their positions.

But the agitating farmers’ unions agreed to hold a meeting at Singhu border on Wednesday to consider fresh proposals from the Centre and decide whether to renew negotiations. As a result, the scheduled sixth round of talks on Wednesday has been called off.

Shah is understood to have offered a written assurance that the minimum support price (MSP) regime will not be scrapped while explaining that retention of the APMC system was not connected to the laws. The Centre has also conveyed its preparedness to strengthen the mandi system.

"No meeting will be held between farmers and the government tomorrow (Wednesday). The minister has said a proposal will be given to farmer leaders tomorrow (Wednesday). Farmer leaders will hold a meeting to discuss the proposal," Hannan Mollah, the general secretary of the All India Kisan Sabha, told reporters after the meeting on Tuesday.

"I would say that the meeting was positive. The government has taken cognizance of our demands and will give a draft to us tomorrow (Wednesday), which we will deliberate upon," Rakesh Tikait, spokesperson of the Bhartiya Kisan Union, was quoted as saying by news agency ANI after the meeting.

At the meeting, leaders reiterated their demand for a complete rollback. Shah, however, said Union agriculture minister Narendra Singh Tomar would present a “concrete proposal” in Wednesday’s talks. The two sides have thus far held five rounds of talks, including three last week, on December 1, 3 and 5.

• 14th day
• Amit Shah
• Farmers’ protest
• fail
• talks
• today's meeting
• farm laws
• cancelled