Unions reject government proposal to suspend laws for 18 months

NEW DELHI, (The Hindu), JANUARY 21, 2021 -  Protesting farm unions have rejected the Centre’s proposal to suspend the three farm reform laws for one and a half years. They intend to continue their agitation until the three laws are repealed, and a legislation guaranteeing minimum support prices for all farmers is enacted.  

The decision was taken after a tumultuous five hour meeting of the full general body of the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM), a joint front representing about 500 protesting groups, at the Singhu protest site on the Delhi-Haryana border on Thursday evening. The unions will inform the Centre of their decision at the eleventh round of talks on Friday.  

Keeping up the pressure, the unions reiterated their plan to conduct a tractor parade inside the capital on Republic Day, despite police opposition. “In the meeting held with the police officials [on Thursday morning], the police requested not to conduct the parade in Delhi, while the farmers restated their plan about doing the parade on the outer ring road of Delhi,” said the SKM statement.