Farmers' Union demands government to COVID vaccination centres at protest sites

Amid rising COVID-19 cases, The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM), an umbrella body of agitating farmer unions, Friday demanded that the government start vaccination centres and provide related facilities at protest sites. Besides demanding vaccination centres from the government, they have asked farmers protesting at the various border points of Delhi to wear masks and follow necessary COVID-19 guidelines. This is for the first time that the union has been seen making an effort to stem the spread of the virus, in fact, interestingly, its leaders in the vulnerable age group had earlier said that they are not "afraid of COVID". 

"We appeal to the farmers to follow the necessary norms and guidelines like wearing masks and doing their bit to stop the spread of the virus. At the same time, we also request the government to fulfill its responsibility by starting vaccination centres and providing necessary facilities at protest places," an SKM statement said.

Centre asks protesting farmers to restart talks 

On Saturday, the farmer body, which has been camping at three Delhi border points - Singhu, Tikri and Ghazipur for over four months, demanding a repeal of the three agricultural reform laws enacted by the Centre last September,  was urged by  Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar to restart talks with Centre and in the meanwhile, asked to send back elders and children to their homes in view of the rising COVID-19 cases. 

Citing that the farmers had held 11 rounds of talks, he said that 'agitation continues either when govt isn't ready to talk or when the union doesn't get the favourable response'. Reiterating that farmers must postpone the protest and talk with the govt, Tomar also said that many farmers' unions, economists are supporting the Agricultural Bills.

"Many farmers' unions, economists are supporting the Agricultural Bills but some farmers are protesting against the bills. The government held 11 round of talks with the protesting farmer unions, we are ready for more talks. We offered to discuss problematic areas & make changes in them. Farmer unions didn't accept & didn't give a reason. Agitation continues either when govt isn't ready to talk or when the union doesn't get a favourable response. Here unions decided to continue it anyway," said Narendra Singh Tomar.

n retaliation, BKU spokesperson Rakesh Tikait said that the Kisan Mahapanchayat protests will continue and it will continue till 7 AM tomorrow. If govt wants to talk then we are ready to talk but the govt wants conditional talks but we don’t." Rebutting Tomar's claims on Coronavirus spread due to farmers' protest, he said, "Why there is no corona where the election are happening? This is not Shaheen Bagh, protest will not end here like Shaheen bagh."

(with PTI inputs)

(CREDITS-DANIELSCHLUDI/UNSPLASH/AP)