Even as agitating farmers started their indefinite relay fast from Dec 21 the Union agriculture minister Narendra Singh Tomar on Sunday wrote a letter to 40 farmers’ unions making fresh offer for talks.
The minister said that the date of talks would be fixed according to the convenience of farmers. The talks would be held at Vigyan Bhawan.
A batch of eleven farmers started relay fast from Monday. They have also decided not to pay at toll plazas between Dec 25 and 27.
Reports suggest that the farmers’ unions may meet any time on Monday to discuss the agriculture minister’s offer for talks.
But one of the farmers’ leader Sarwan Singh Pandher said that there is nothing new in the government’s offer and it is just a tactic to delay the whole process. He said that the farmers’ union have made it clear that they are not going to accept anything but the scrapping of the three farm laws.
Meanwhile, the farmers on Sunday observed Shaheed Diwas as a mark of respect for over two dozen of them who have lost their lives since the agitation on the border of Delhi started on Nov 26. Most of the farmers have died of cold and heart attack while Sant Baba Ram Singh, a Sikh granthi or priest committed suicide in what he alleged in protest against the Centre’s stand on the three farm laws enacted in Sep last.
