Farmer unions reject government's proposal to put new farm laws on hold for about 18 months

A day after the government proposed that it is ready to put new farm laws on hold for about 18 months, the protesting farmer unions rejected the proposal and insisted on their demand for the repeal of the three laws.

A press release issued by Samyukta Kisan Morcha after a full general body meeting on Thursday said that "the proposal put forth by the Government yesterday was rejected".

"A full repeal of three central farm laws and enacting legislation for remunerative minimum support price (MSP) for all farmers were reiterated as the pending demands of the movement," said the release signed by Krantikari Kisan Union leader Darshan Pal.

Noting that 143 farmers had died during the protest, the release said, "these companions have been separated from us while fighting this mass movement".

"Their sacrifice will not go in vain and we will not go back without farm laws being repealed," it stated.

The release said Delhi Police had requested them during a meeting to not to hold "parade" in Delhi while the farmers restated their plan of taking out the parade on the outer ring road of Delhi.

"This peaceful movement is becoming the people's movement. Farmers are uniting for Republic Day through vehicle rallies in many places in Karnataka. Farmers tractor marches are taking place in many places in Kerala. Farmers of Bilaspur and Rampur in Uttarakhand are preparing for the farmers' parade in Delhi by organising tractor march. Farmers in Chhattisgarh will march towards the Raj Bhavan on January 23 and a group of farmers will also leave for Delhi," the release said.

Samyukta Kisan Morcha alleged that the 'Kisan Delhi Chalo Yatra' of Navnirman Kisan Sangathan, which had started from Odisha, "is being disturbed repeatedly by the Uttar Pradesh Police".

It said the "farmers' movement is expected to intensify" in the coming days and a three-day big protest will be held in Kolkata from January 20 to January 22.

The protesting farmer unions and the government held the 10th round of talks on Wednesday.

Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar had said after the talks that the government had proposed that implementation of farm laws should be kept on hold for a period of one to one-and-a-half years.

He had said that representatives of farmers' unions and the government can discuss all issues related to the farmers' agitation during the period so that an appropriate solution can be found.

The farmer unions had said that they will discuss the proposal in detail. The next round of talks is scheduled for Friday.