Farm leaders devise strategy ahead of Jan 15 talks with govt over agri laws

With their next round of talks with the Centre fixed for January 15, leaders of different farmer organisations discussed their strategy to intensify their protest further and other related issues

With their next round of talks with the Centre fixed for January 15, leaders of different farmer organisations on Sunday discussed their strategy to intensify their protest further and other related issues.

The protest by farmers on Singhu, Tikri and Gazipur entry points on Delhi's borders with Haryana and Uttar Pradesh continued for the 46th day on Sunday.

Punjab's farmer leader Sukhpal Singh, who is involved in the ongoing protest at Delhi's Singhu border since November 26, told IANS that the decision of farmer leaders on the agitation was considered at a Sanyukt Kisan Morcha meeting in the afternoon.

Sukhpal Singh, who was present at the 8th round of talks with the central government as a representative of sugarcane farmers from Hoshiarpur in Punjab, said that farmer leaders also deliberated on the pleas regarding farmers' protest that would come up for hearing in the Supreme Court in the coming days.

Harinder Singh, another farmer leader from Punjab and General Secretary of Bharatiya Kisan Union (Lakhowal), told IANS: "We are discussing among ourselves the next round of talks with the Centre."

He asserted that the protest will continue till the government did not repeal the three farm laws and gave MSP guarantee for crops through a law.

"Various issues, including the strategy to intensify the agitation, are getting discussed, though our primary focus is on the preparations for the proposed January 26 protest in Delhi."

Farmer organisations have warned that if their two demands are not accepted by the Centre before January 26, they would hold a 'Kisan Parade' on tractors on the Republic Day in New Delhi. Many other key agitation programmes have already been announced by the farmer unions.

The farmers are demanding the repeal of The Farmers Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act 2020; The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Act 2020, and The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act 2020.

--IANS

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