Farm unions respond to govt: Reject your proposals, stop maligning our movement

Pal also asked the government to stop maligning the farmers’ movement. “We want the government to stop maligning the farmers’ movement and stop parallel negotiations with other farmer organisations,” he said.

An Agriculture Ministry official confirmed to The Indian Express that the government received a written response from the farmer unions. However, he refused to answer queries about whether the government would send an invitation for talks to farmers.

The written response from the protesting farm unions came a day after Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar said the government was awaiting a written response on its proposal sent to farmers.

“We are waiting for farm unions’ views on issues on which they want to talk so that we discuss again and take the matter to conclusion,” Tomar said in an interview to The Indian Express on Tuesday. The government will invite protesting farmers for talks the day after they revert with their response to the concessions offered, Tomar added.

Asked about the next steps in defusing the standoff with farmers, Tomar said informal talks were on with some farm leaders, and he was awaiting a response from them on the government’s proposal sent on December 9.

“I am ready to send them an invitation once they revert on the changes proposed by the government,” he said. Tomar was, however, clear that the government would not repeal the farm laws.