Farmers’ protests enter 16th day

The ongoing farmers’ protests have entered the 16th day today. They have rejected the Centre’s final proposal of amendments to the three farm laws and announced a bigger movement. The stalemate is likely to continue as there is no further meeting scheduled between farmers and the Centre.

More protesters joined the agitating farmers on Thursday. They are planning to block the Delhi-Jaipur highway on Saturday and on 14 December they are planning a countrywide protest.

The protest have now reached a dead end, with no communication from the Centre after the farmers rejected its proposal. There are reports that there is a divide among farmer unions. These reports have been dismissed by the farmers groups.

“We take decisions unanimously. It is about consensus and not majority…it cannot be that some people are agreeing to it and others are not. If all unions say the laws should be scrapped, that’s our decision…There is no question of having a personal opinion,” said one of the union leaders.

The Bharatiya Kisan Union leader Jagmohan Singh said farmer leaders are open to continuing the dialogue. “We will come for the meeting if the government invites, but our demand should be met. It has become a mass movement. We cannot return to our villages with empty hands,” he said. The farmers may send a rejoinder to the Centre.

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