Appearing set to reject the fresh offer of talks by the Union government , farmer unions spearheading the agitation are of the opinion that the three laws are pro-corporate and promote stocking and black-marketing of the food. The final decision, however, will be taken in a meeting of Samyukt Kisan Morcha, a joint front of farmer unions, on Tuesday.
In a virtual meeting during the day, leaders of the farmer unions said the government had selected eight issues that it was now trying to claim were the main issues, claimed sources privy to the meeting. The leaders said the problem lay with the objectives of the laws. They also took exception to the language used by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, wherein he has said that “no one could stop him” from going ahead with the reforms.
The leaders, at the meeting, argued that corporate houses across the world were trying to grab agricultural land and water resources, pitting them (corporations) against farmers. They were of the view that the government had twisted facts on the talks and claimed modesty, but the representations sent by them for the withdrawal of the laws had been turned down.
Krantikari Kisan Union president Darshan Pal said the letter sent by the Agriculture Ministry Joint Secretary Vivek Aggarwal late on Sunday evening would be discussed on Tuesday and a decision taken. “It is not an invitation for talks. They have replied to our earlier letter. They have just said that the doors for the talks are open. We will discuss in the meeting tomorrow (on Tuesday) and decide,” said Mr. Pal, a Samyukt Kisan Morcha leader.
Earlier, farmer leaders at several protest sites began a relay hunger strike in accordance with announcements made by Samyukt Kisan Morcha leaders on Sunday. The farmer leaders will hold a hunger strike in batches for 24 hours. The Morcha has also given a call to picket toll plazas in Haryana and make them free for the motorists on December 25, 26 and 27 .
The All-India Kisan Sangarsh Co-ordination Committee would hold protest at Mumbai on Tuesday at the offices of the Ambani and Adani groups at the Bandra Kurla Complex, and these protests would be addressed by leaders from Punjab, said All-India Kisan Sabha, in a tweet from its official handle.
