Only repealing of agri laws will end farmers' stir: AIKS official

Only repealing of the new farm laws will end the stalemate, an All India Kisan Sabha official said on Saturday, ahead of the fifth-round of talks between the government and protesting farmer organisations over the legislations. The fourth round, which was held on Thursday, failed to end the standoff, with protesting farmers sticking to their demand of scrapping the laws.

"There is no doubt in our minds that only repeal of the laws will end the agitation. We will not budge. We want the government to take their proposals to the Parliament and let a Parliamentary committee discuss the issues. We will not agree to anything short of repeal of the laws,” AIKS finance secretary Krishna Prasad said.

Undeterred by the winter chill, thousands of farmers have stayed put at various border points of Delhi for the past nine days as part of their protest against the Centre's farm laws. "At this juncture, we have transport unions, retail businesses and other associated groups who have shown solidarity with us. Our movement is not just about farmers," Prasad said. He claimed that these laws seek to allow foreign intervention in agriculture and said this will allow corporates to monopolise the farm sector.


AIKS also demanded that the government unconditionally withdraw cases filed across India on protesting farmers. "AIKS strongly condemns the cowardly effort by the Modi Govt to use the Delhi Police in a bid to intimidate leaders, activists protesting against the Anti-Farmer Acts," the farmer union tweeted from its official handle.