Home Min constitutes high-level committee to deliberate with farmers, promises swift talks

In yet ar appeal by Central government to farmers' unions to call off ongoing agitation, Home Ministry has promised to constitute a high-level committee of Union Ministers to hold discussions with farmers. In a letter to protesting parties on Saturday, Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla has assured farmers that talks slated to be held on December 3 will be preponed as soon as protestors shift to Burari Park in Delhi. Home Secretary has highlighted in his letter that several arrangements have been me at Burari Park where protestors can demonstrate peacefully. 

"Some farmers' unions are demanding that inste of December 3, talks should be held sooner. After you shift to Burari Park, immediate next day Centre will meet all concerned parties at Vigyan Bhavan where a high-level committee of Union Ministers will hold discussions with you," Ajay Bhalla wrote in his letter to farmer unions. 

Farmers' union h earlier met with Centre at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi on vember 13 to discuss contentious farm laws. Union Railways Minister Piyush Goyal and Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar represented Centre and h hoped to 'clear doubts' of farmers before festive season. However, meeting which lasted nearly seven hours failed to provide a breakthrough and ended inconclusively. Following talks, farmers called-off Rail Roko Andolan for a period of 15 days but remain stern in ir call to protest in New Delhi. 

Home Secretary's letter to farmers:

letter by Home Ministry came after Union Home Minister Amit Shah also appealed to farmers to call off protest. Breaking his silence on farmers' protests, he stressed that Centre would deliberate on each and every demand of farmers. At same time, he urged m to shift to Nirankari Samagam Ground in Burari where all arrangements are in place. Shah mentioned that farmers will get permission of Delhi police to step up a st and carry out ir protests in a structured manner. According to him, inconvenience for everyone will be minimised if farmers move from ros towards ground. 

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Farmers reject Shah's proposal 

Meanwhile, farmers' unions on Sunday strongly asserted that y would t move ir demonstration to Burari Park in Delhi as it is an 'open jail'. As agitation entered its fourth day, Punjab President of BKU Krantikari Surjeet Singh Phul dressed a press conference and said, "We've decided that we'll never go to Burari Park as we got proof that it's an open jail. Delhi Police told Uttarakhand Farmer Association President that y'll take m to Jantar Mantar but inste locked m at Burari Park."

farmers' representative also stated that y would gherao Delhi by blocking 5 main entry points to national capital. "We've got 4 months ration with us, so thing to worry. Our Operations Committee will decide everything," he said.

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'Delhi Chalo' agitation has seen a standoff between thousands of farmers marching mostly from Punjab and Haryana towards national capital and police resorting to use of tear gas and water canns to prevent m from proceeding furr. On or hand, visuals from Shambhu inter-state border with Punjab showed that protesters threw stones at barrices, lifted m and dropped m into river. Delhi Police h enhanced deployment of security personnel, stationed sand-len trucks and used barbed wire for fencing at Singhu and Tikri border points on Haryana border.

However, police permitted farmers to protest at Nirankari Samagam Ground in Burari area after holding talks with m. Delhi Police Commissioner SN Shrivastava appealed to farmers to maintain law and order and demonstrate peacefully. Concerns have been raised about possible exploitation of farmers by big corporates and applicability of MSP.

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