Onus of resuming talks on you, farmers write to PM

Sanyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) on Friday wrote to Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi asking the government to resume dialogue with farmers.

“Mr Prime Minister, this letter is to remind you that, as the head of the government of the largest democracy in the world, the onus of resuming a serious and sincere dialogue with the farmers lies with you,” the letter to the PM, signed by major farm leaders states.

Some of the signatories to the letter to the Prime Minister are Balbir Singh Rajewal, Darshan Pal, Gurnam Singh Chadhuni, Hannan Mollah, Jagjit Singh Dallewal, Joginder Singh Ugrahan, Shiv Kumar Kakkaji, Yogendra Yadav and Yudhvir Singh, each of them belongs to various farm organisations that make up the Samyukt Kisan Morcha.

Eleven rounds of talks were held between 40 farm leaders and the government, yet the issue could not be resolved. The final round of talks was held on January 22, after which there has been no communication between the government and the protesting farmers’ leaders.

The government had offered to suspend for 18 months, the Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance, Farm Services Act, 2020 and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act 2020, which the farmers want scrapped. The farmers’ unions have rejected the government’s offer.

Since November last year, the farmers have been protesting at the borders of Delhi demanding the repeal of three farm laws. Although the Modi government had offered to suspend the laws for 18 months, the farmers’ unions have rejected the offer.