New Delhi: Even as the fourth round of talks between the Centre and the representatives of agitating farmers at the Vigyan Bhawan on Thursday failed to reach any conclusion, the government gave adequate hints of softening its stance on some demands of the farmers, protesting against the new farm laws. The next round of talks will now be held on December 5.
The meeting, which lasted for seven-and-a-half hours, started at Vigyan Bhavan on Thursday at 12.30 pm in the presence of Tomar, Railway and Commerce, and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal and Minister of State for Commerce and Industry Som Prakash. The government had requested the farmers` representatives to submit their objections in writing so that each point could be discussed, which the farmers did.
More than 40 farmer organizations took part in the talks while this number was 35 in the third round of talks. The government is understood to have told the representatives of farmers that the farm laws won`t be rolled back, but added that it is considering to take some new measures on some of their demands. Regarding apprehensions about the APMCs (mandis), the government is learned to have said that it is planning to start the registration of traders.
Ahead of the talks, a meeting was also held between Home Minister Amit Shah and Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh. During this meeting, Amarinder Singh urged the government for the early resolution of the dispute. After this meeting, CM Amarinder said, “I came to meet the Home Minister to reiterate our position and to make a request to him and the farmers to resolve this soon because this (agitation) affects the economy of my Punjab as well as the security of the nation.”
The Punjab CM’s statement justified the stand of Zee News that some anti-national elements are trying to hijack this agitation. When it was earlier reported that Khalistani supporters have entered into this movement, Zee News was trolled on social media and was termed anti-farmer.
This fear of Punjab CM is obvious because the state shares a border of over 500 kilometers with the neighbouring nation of Pakistan, which is likely to take advantage of this situation to activate anti-India forces. In the 1980s, Punjab has witnessed a dark phase of terrorism that lasted till 1990, but it also witnessed the tragic demise of former prime minister Indira Gandhi.
In the name of this movement, Indians settled abroad are also being instigated by Khalistani terror organizations. The name of one such organization, Sikh For Justice, came to the fore for extending monetary help of Rs 7.5 crores to the agitating farmers. Looking at these developments, Captain Amarinder Singh’s apprehension has a concrete edifice of fear.
Notably, several people have come forward to return their award in protest against the Centre’s new farm laws. Of these personalities, Akali Dal veteran and former Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal returned his Padma Vibhushan award. In a separate announcement, dissident Akali leader Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa also said he will return the Padma Bhushan conferred on him last year.
Meanwhile, 27 players have also announced to return their awards received from the government to express their solidarity with the farmers’ movement. The biggest name among these players is of Pargat Singh, former captain of the Indian hockey team. In 1998, Pargat Singh was awarded the Padma Shri.