Dilli Chalo protest | Punjab-based farmers’ body refuses to attend meeting with Centre over farm laws

The KMSC is one of the 32 Punjab farmers’ bodies invited for talks with the Centre

December 01, 2020 12:51 pm | Updated 01:06 pm IST - Chandigarh

Farmers shouting slogans during a protest against the farm laws at Ghazipur, on Monday, Nov. 30, 2020.

Farmers shouting slogans during a protest against the farm laws at Ghazipur, on Monday, Nov. 30, 2020.

Punjab-based farmers’ body Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee (KMSC) on Tuesday refused to participate in a meeting called by the Centre over the farm laws , demanding that representatives of all farmer unions be invited for talks.

Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar on Monday had invited leaders of farmer unions for talks on Tuesday, instead of December 3, citing the COVID-19 pandemic and cold.

  Thousands of farmers stayed put at various Delhi border points for the sixth consecutive day on Tuesday protesting against the new agri laws, which they fear will dismantle the minimum support price system and corporatise farming.

The KMSC is one of the 32 Punjab farmers’ bodies invited for talks with the Centre.

Also read:  Dilli Chalo protest | Burari is an open jail, say farmers rejecting Centre’s conditional invitation for talks

“A committee of several farmers’ bodies has not been invited and moreover, the Prime Minister is not holding this meeting. Because of these reasons, KMSC is not going to attend the meeting,” KMSC general secretary Sarwan Singh Pandher said.

Mr. Pandher accused the government of trying to divide the protesting farmers by not inviting all the farmer unions.

“If 32 Punjab-based farmers’ bodies have been invited (for talks), a committee representing around 500 farmers’ organisations is also there which should have also been invited,” he said.

“By not inviting all farmers’ bodies, an attempt is being made to divide the farmer organisations. If we attend the meeting, it will be presumed that this agitation (against farm laws) is only taking place in Punjab which could be the conspiracy of the Centre,” he said.

Reacting to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s statement that these farm laws are in the interest of the farming community, Mr. Pandher said, “He (the PM) has already given his decision before the meeting. And now, no Minister can go against the PM.”

0 / 0
Sign in to unlock member-only benefits!
  • Access 10 free stories every month
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign-up/manage your newsletter subscriptions with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early access to discounts & offers on our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.

We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.