Farm laws: 'If govt doesn't take a decision on 4 Jan, then we will,' say farmer leaders

The farmers' unions protesting on various points of Delhi border said on Friday that they will hold a tractor march on January 6 if the repeal of the three farm laws is not decided upon in the next round of meeting on January 4.

"It seems govt is taking farmers lightly. They were able to disperse Shaheen Bagh protestors and were thinking they can do the same with us. But such a day will never come. If the government does not make a decision on January 4 then farmers will have to take a decision," said Yudhvir Singh of Bhartiya Kisan Union.

Also Read | Investing during all-time highs can be good strategy

"We will hold tractor march on January 6 if no concrete decision is taken in the January 4 meeting between government and the unions," he added.

The unions have said that they are not ready to back down, instead will announce dates for shutting all malls, petrol pumps in Haryana if the government fails to end the deadlock in the next meeting.

"In Haryana, all toll plazas will remain free. All the petrol pumps and malls, except private, will be shut. Leaders of BJP and Jannayak Janata Party (JJP) will face protests in the state and this will continue till their government of alliance breaks," said Vikas Sisar, a farmer leader from Haryana.

The farmers also announced that protesters on the Haryana-Rajasthan border will move forward if talks do not progress constructively.

Violence in Rajasthan

The statement came after Haryana Police on Thursday lathicharged farmers and fired tear gas shells after a group broke barricades at Shahjahanpur in Rajasthan in their attempt to march towards the national capital.

Hundreds of farmers, mainly from Rajasthan and Haryana, have been agitating at the Shahjahanpur border in Alwar district. Tensions flared up on Thursday as some of them on tractor-trailers tried to force their way into neighbouring Haryana.

Regarding the incident, Yogendra Yadav of Swaraj India said on Friday: "In Shahjahanpur yesterday, some farmers broke barricades and moved forward. The morcha there was held after a consensus of Sanyukt Kisan Morcha here, it was a joint decision. Local and national leadership agreed that morcha should remain in Shahjahanpur for now."

"The next round of talks with the government will be held on January 4 and if our demands are not accepted, we will hold a march at Kundli-Manesar-Palwal (KMP) on January 6. We will announce a date about when and move forward from Shahjahanpur border," he added.

Sixth round of talks

The Union ministers holding the sixth round of talks with the 40 protesting farmers' unions on Wednesday told the farmers that the process to withdraw a law is a long-drawn one and proposed to set up a committee to examine the three new farm reforms.

Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar said that the unions were apprehensive about an ordinance related to the environment. "The first issue was an ordinance related to the environment. Unions were apprehensive about farmers being included along with Parali ones. Both sides agreed to farmers' exclusion," said the minister.

Further, the government also decided to rollback provisions on stubble burning and draft electricity law.

"Farmers feel that if reform is introduced in the Electricity Act, they will suffer loss. Unions wanted that electricity subsidy given to farmers by states for irrigation should continue. The consensus was reached on this issue also," said Tomar.

However, the farmers have said that two of their main demands remained unresolved.