By Kaveesha Fernando
NEW DELHI, India (CWBN)_ Leaders of the Indian farmers’ protest and ministers of the Indian Central Government were scheduled to conduct the sixth round of talks today (December 30) in an attempt to diffuse one of the fiercest protests by Indian farmers in decades.
However, not much is expected out of the talks as neither side seems willing to budge. The Indian farmers want the new farm laws (which they feel leave them at a disadvantage) to be repealed. They argue that the move strips away some of the protections which they were afforded in the past, such as government regulation of produce prices, without which they fear that they will be at the mercy of the private sector that might try and drive down prices. The Indian government, on the other hand, argues that the new laws will boost trade and be beneficial to farmers and insist that the laws must be upheld.
However, it’s clear that the Indian government is attempting to resolve the issue. Indian media reports that on Tuesday Indian Minister of Agriculture and Farmer Welfare, Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Narendra Singh Tomar and Indian Minister of Railways, Commerce and Industry; Consumer Affairs and Food and Public Distribution Piyush Goyal met with Indian Home Minister Amit Shah in an attempt to discuss potential solutions to the issue ahead of the talks. The three ministers have been representing the government during the negotiations with the Indian farmers.
The Indian government is also most likely eager to resolve the issue as quickly as possible because the protests are not only causing issues with the nation but also outside of India. Protests in support of Indian farmers were held in London while Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also stated that he stood in solidarity with the farmers. The protests, which began in Punjab, reached New Delhi a few weeks ago and have spread across the nation – barring access to everything from businesses to transport facilities.
