Farmer leaders to decide on Centre’s fresh offer for talks as protest enters 28th day today

Farmers have decided to intensify the movement against new agricultural laws and said that Haryana's toll plazas will be made free from December 25 to December 27.

New Delhi: Amid the ongoing protests against the three new agriculture laws, the farmer union leaders will take a decision on Centre’s latest offer for talks to resolve the impasse over the demand for the continuation of MSP and end the ongoing strike that entered in its 28th day on Wednesday.

The agitating farmer union leaders said on Tuesday that they will take a call on Centre's letter on Wednesday.

"32 farmer unions from Punjab held a meeting and discussed the next course of action. A meeting of farmer leaders from across India would be held on Wednesday where a decision on the government's offer will be taken," Kulwant Singh Sandhu, a farmer leader, said during a press conference at Delhi's Singhu Border. 

He added that they have decided to intensify the movement against new agricultural laws and said that the Haryana's toll plazas will be made free from December 25 to December 27.

He also said, " 36 Britain MPs and 40 US Senators have written letters to Indian embassies there regarding these new laws." Sandhu said that they would write to Britain MPs, requesting them to press their Prime Minister Boris Johnson not to attend India's Republic Day celebrations on January 26. Notably, Johnson has accepted the offer to be the chief guest at the event.

Earlier on Sunday, in a letter to 40 union leaders, the Joint Secretary in the Union Agriculture Ministry, Vivek Aggarwal, had asked the protesting farmer leaders to specify their concerns over its earlier proposal of amendments in the laws. He also asked them to choose a convenient date for the next round of talks so that the ongoing agitation could end at the earliest.

The farmers' protests had entered its 28th day today and the several round of talks between the Centre and their leaders couldn't break the deadlock. The sixth round of talks was held on December 9.

Meanwhile, the Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar has said that he's hopeful that protesting farmer unions will soon decide and resume dialogue with the Centre to find a solution. 

He said, "I am hopeful they (protesting farmers' unions) will soon complete their internal discussions and come forward for talks. We will be able to find a solution successfully."

Tomar added, "Representatives of different farmers' bodies had come to tell that the laws are good and are in the interest of farmers. They had come to urge the government not to make any amendments to the laws."

Thousands of farmers have been protesting at various Delhi's border points seeking a repeal of the new agriculture laws, which they claim were aimed at benefitting corporates by weakening the mandi system and the minimum support price (MSP) regime for procurement of farm produce.

(With inputs from agencies)