Home Min constitutes high-level committee to deliberate with farmers, promises swift talks

In yet another appeal by the Central government to the farmers' unions to call off the ongoing agitation, the Home Ministry has promised to constitute a high-level committee of Union Ministers to hold discussions with the farmers. In a letter to the protesting parties on Saturday, Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla has assured the farmers that the talks slated to be held on December 3 will be preponed as soon as the protestors shift to the Burari Park in Delhi. The Home Secretary has highlighted in his letter that several arrangements have been made at Burari Park where the protestors can demonstrate peacefully. 

"Some farmers' unions are demanding that instead of December 3, the talks should be held sooner. After you shift to Burari Park, the immediate next day the Centre will meet all the concerned parties at Vigyan Bhavan where a high-level committee of Union Ministers will hold discussions with you," Ajay Bhalla wrote in his letter to the farmer unions. 

Farmers' union had earlier met with the Centre at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi on November 13 to discuss the contentious farm laws. Union Railways Minister Piyush Goyal and Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar represented the Centre and had hoped to 'clear doubts' of the farmers before the festive season. However, the meeting which lasted nearly seven hours failed to provide a breakthrough and ended inconclusively. Following the talks, farmers called-off the Rail Roko Andolan for a period of 15 days but remain stern in their call to protest in New Delhi. 

Home Secretary's letter to farmers:

The letter by the Home Ministry came after Union Home Minister Amit Shah also appealed to the farmers to call off the protest. Breaking his silence on the farmers' protests, he stressed that the Centre would deliberate on each and every demand of the farmers. At the same time, he urged them to shift to the Nirankari Samagam Ground in Burari where all arrangements are in place. Shah mentioned that the farmers will get the permission of the Delhi police to step up a stage and carry out their protests in a structured manner. According to him, the inconvenience for everyone will be minimised if the farmers move from the roads towards the ground. 

READ | Agriculture Min Tomar Puts Onus Of Talks On Farmers, Reiterates Appeal To Call Off Protest

Farmers reject Shah's proposal 

Meanwhile, the farmers' unions on Sunday strongly asserted that they would not move their demonstration to Burari Park in Delhi as it is an 'open jail'. As the agitation entered its fourth day, Punjab President of BKU Krantikari Surjeet Singh Phul addressed a press conference and said, "We've decided that we'll never go to Burari Park as we got proof that it's an open jail. Delhi Police told Uttarakhand Farmer Association President that they'll take them to Jantar Mantar but instead locked them at Burari Park."

The farmers' representative also stated that they would gherao Delhi by blocking 5 main entry points to the national capital. "We've got 4 months ration with us, so nothing to worry. Our Operations Committee will decide everything," he said.

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The 'Delhi Chalo' agitation has seen a standoff between thousands of farmers marching mostly from Punjab and Haryana towards the national capital and the police resorting to the use of tear gas and water cannons to prevent them from proceeding further. On the other hand, visuals from the Shambhu inter-state border with Punjab showed that protesters threw stones at the barricades, lifted them and dropped them into the river. The Delhi Police had enhanced the deployment of security personnel, stationed sand-laden trucks and used barbed wire for fencing at the Singhu and Tikri border points on the Haryana border.

However, the police permitted the farmers to protest at the Nirankari Samagam Ground in the Burari area after holding talks with them. Delhi Police Commissioner SN Shrivastava appealed to the farmers to maintain law and order and demonstrate peacefully. Concerns have been raised about the possible exploitation of farmers by big corporates and the applicability of the MSP.

READ | Khattar Takes On Punjab CM Over Farmers' Stir, Asserts 'use Of Tear Gas Is Not Force'

READ | Farmers' Unions Reject Centre's 'early Talks' Offer, To Block 5 Entry Points To Delhi