New Delhi: The Central government has written to protesting farmers’ unions in Punjab to come for a discussion to New Delhi on October 14 to deliberate upon the recently passed laws concerning agriculture, which led to a spate of protests across the country, especially in Punjab and Haryana.
This is the second such letter sent by the Union government requesting the agitating farmers for a meeting in five days.
The latest invitation, sent out to 29 of 30 protesting farmers’ union, has been written by the secretary of the department of agricultural cooperation and farmer welfare, Sanjay Agarwal. “Please attend the meeting on October 14, 2020, at 11.30 am in room number 142, Krishi Mantralaya, New Delhi for doing a discussion on these subjects,” the Indian Express quoted him as saying in a letter dated October 10.
The unions have not yet decided whether or not to attend the meeting. Confirming the latest invite, Jagmohan Singh, as per the Indian Express report, said: “We have received an invitation for a meeting on October 14… The farmers’ unions will decide whether to go to Delhi for talks in a meeting slated for October 13.”
The farmers declined the first instance of reaching out by the Centre saying that they would not speak to an officer, but would be ready for a meeting if a proper invitation came either from the Union agriculture minister or the prime minister. However, the second invitation is also from the agriculture ministry, according to a New Indian Express report.
“Though the invite has come from the agriculture ministry, but this time it says that the Central government wants to have a dialogue,” a senior farmer leader told the newspaper.
Disruptions owing to protests
Meanwhile, the Punjab government has appealed to farmers to call off their rail roko, which has been observed across the state, due to its impact on the movement of goods and supply of coal for thermal power plants in Punjab. Protestors have been squatting on railway tracks at various places in the state since September 24. The farmers will take a call on relaxing rail roko on October 15.
Farmers have maintained that the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) has enough coal supplies, and they can buy cheap power from the national grid. Therefore, they have asked not to exert pressure on the farmers to call off their protests.
Farmers have been apprehensive of the new laws that they would destroy the minimum support price (MSP) mechanism, end agricultural produce market committees, and offer free rein to private and corporate players to fix prices, harming farmers’ interests.