Farmers Protest: Farmers In Huddle As Talks With Centre Fail, Round 2 Tomorrow

Farmers' protest: The protest has entered the seventh day

Highlights

Farmers on Tuesday rejected centre's proposal to form a 5-member panel
They told the government that such committees have led to no results
Thousands of farmers began their protest against new laws last week

New Delhi: Farmers' organisations met at one of the Delhi-Haryana borders to decide their strategy, a day after they turned down the centre's second pitch for a committee to discuss the contentious farm laws against which they have been holding massive protests near Delhi. The protest - the biggest by farmers in years - has entered the seventh day, with thousands of people from several states camped out on the outskirts of Delhi. Union Home Minister Amit Shah, meanwhile, met with Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar and his cabinet colleague Piyush Goyal at his home to discuss yesterday's meeting with the farmers.

Here are the top 10 updates on farmers' protest:

32 farmers' groups met at the Delhi-Haryana border in Singhu today. "The farmers had given clause-wise objection (to the farm laws) in writing to the government in October itself. But tomorrow, it will be given in writing again. Going by yesterday's meeting, we don't think the government is in a mood to withdraw the laws. The government wants farmers to fight among themselves," a farmer leader said after the first round of meeting today. Farmers' groups will meet again shortly, with more groups joining in.
Farmer leaders on Tuesday rejected the government proposal to form a five-member committee to look into the objections and study the concerns. They told the government that such committees have led to no results and outcomes in the past."Now is not the time for a committee," sources quoted farmers' representatives as saying at the meeting with three central ministers on Tuesday evening.
Piyush Goyal and junior industry minister Som Parkash had met the 35-member farmers' team. The government asked the farm unions for their detailed critique to be provided in the statutes, and to articulate the objections in detail. "We wanted a small group, but they (the farmers) said they will talk together. We don't mind that. We would like them to end the protest and come for talks. But this depends on the farmers," Agriculture Minister Narendra Tomar said after the meeting.
A key route in east Delhi, connecting the capital to Noida in Uttar Pradesh has been closed as around 300 farmers from different parts of Uttar Pradesh continued their sit-in at the Noida-Delhi border for the second day. The protesting farmers said big groups are on their way to Delhi from UP's Agra and Etawah. The crowd at the Delhi-Noida border is much smaller as compared other other border points. The Delhi traffic police has asked people to use alternate routes to travel to Noida.
Besides the border areas of the capital, demonstrations are also being held at a ground allocated for the farmer protests in Delhi's outskirts.
Punjab Youth Congress workers protested in front of Haryana Chief Minister ML Khattar's residence, demanding an apology from him for the alleged use of force against the protesting farmers.
The Maharashtra farmers' union, meanwhile, has called for a state-wide agitation tomorrow against the farm laws.
A group of top sportspersons and coaches from Punjab said they will return their awards and march to Delhi on December 5 in solidarity with the farmers. "They have been holding peaceful agitation for several months. But water cannons and teargas shells were used against them," said Olympic hockey player and Arjuna awardee Sajjan Singh Cheema.
On Tuesday morning, Amit Shah had a meeting with defence minister Rajnath Singh, Piyush Goyal and Narendra Singh Tomar at the home of BJP chief JP Nadda. This was the third high-level meeting in 48 hours.
Thousands of farmers, who have braved water cannons, tear gas and police barricades, began their protest last week against the farm laws, aimed at doing away with middlemen and allowing them to sell produce anywhere in the country. Farmers say the laws will deprive them of the minimum prices fixed by the government and leave them at the mercy of corporates.