The government will have to listen to us and take back the laws. If the government does not listen to us, we will continue sitting here,” Rakesh Tikait asserted.
NEW DELHI — With the government inviting the protesting farmers to a fresh round of talks on Wednesday, a farmers’ union leader on Monday said they will stick to their key demand for repeal of the three farm laws.
“We will participate in the meeting and seek to discuss the proposals we have made. If this goes well, we will then move to other issues, ” Bharatiya Kisan Union’s national spokesperson Rakesh Tikait told IANS.
“If they (the government) does not agree, we will hold further talks. The government will have to listen to us and take back the laws. If the government does not listen to us, we will continue sitting here,” he asserted.
The government, in its letter of invitation for the talks, said they will discuss the three farm laws and the minimum support price (MSP) issue as well as The Commission for Air Quality management in NCR and adjoining areas ordinance, 2020 and The Electricity (Amendment) Bill, 2020.
The farmers, who had offered to hold talks with the government on Tuesday, had sent a four point charter of demands. The first one was for the withdrawal of the three laws, the second one was for a legal basis for selling agricultural produce at MSP as fixed by the National Farmers Commission. The third was for keeping farmers out of the ambit of penal provisions under the clean air ordinance, and the fourth was for necessary changes in the Electricity (Amendment) Bill to protect farmers’ interests. — IANS
