Protesting farmers bang utensils at Delhi borders during PM Modi's 'Mann ki Baat' address

The leaders of 40 farmer organisations have sent a letter to the government specifying their demands

Picture credit: ANI

New Delhi: As the farmers protest entered its 32nd day, a group of farmers opposed the laws of the government by banging metal utensils and making noise while Prime Minister Narendra Modi was addressing the people of the country on Sunday through his monthly radio programme ‘Mann Ki Baat’.

Haryana farmer leader Gurnam Singh Chaduni appealed to the Prime Minister to listen to the "Mann ki Baat" of farmers and voices of other people as well, IANS reported. Gurnam Singh is the Haryana state President of the Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) and is one of the prominent leaders leading the farmer agitation.

Speaking on his monthly radio program, PM Modi said "the people of India have taken many steps forward and are getting vocal for local. Our manufacturers are also thinking about making top quality products. This will boost the efforts towards Aatmanirbhar Bharat".

The Prime Minister said that while focusing on Made-in-India products the manufacturers should not compromise with the quality of materials produced by them.

Speaking on the last `Mann Ki Baat` episode of this year, Modi said this is the opportune moment to work with the ethos of `zero effect, zero defect`.

Since November 26, the protesting farmers have been camping at the borders of Singhu, Tikri and Ghazipur. While the farmers protest on the streets against the three farm laws saying that the laws are not in the interest of the farmers, the Centre has said opposition parties are misleading the farmers.

The farmers are ready for talks with Centre on December 29.

A letter was sent on the request of the government on Saturday by the leaders of 40 farmer organisations protesting under the banner of the `Samyukta Kisan Morcha` citing the date and time of the next round of talks, with four major demands for the talks.

These demands by the farmer leaders include: the procedures to be followed to repeal the three central farm laws; the procedure and provisions for legal guarantee for procurement on profitable Minimum Support Price (MSP) as suggested by the National Farmers Commission for all farmers and agricultural commodities; amendments to the Commission for Air Quality Management in National Capital Region and Adjoining Areas Ordinance, 2020, which are necessary to exclude farmers from the penal provisions of the Ordinance; and necessary changes in the draft of Electricity Amendment Bill, 2020, to protect the interests of farmers.