Refusing to soften their stand on farm laws, thousands of farmers protesting on the outskirts of Delhi have called for Bharat Bandh on Tuesday, December 8. The fourth round of talks between the farmers and the goverment ended without any conclusion on Thursday. During the seven-hour-long meeting the government tried to allay concerns over MSP. However, the farmer leaders insisted on rolling back the three new agriculture laws. The next round of talks is scheduled for Saturday, December 5.
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Farmer leaders said they will escalate the protest and take to effigy burning on Saturday.
"We need to take this protest forward. Government has to take back the farm laws: Hannan Mollah, General Secretary, All India Kisan Sabha, told reporters at the Singhu border on Friday.
"Yesterday, we told the Government that the farm laws should be withdrawn. On 5 December, effigies of PM Modi will be burnt across the country. We have given a call for Bharat Bandh on December 8: Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU-Lakhowal) General Secretary, HS Lakhowal, said.
Thousands of farmers are currently staying put at Delhi's borders with Haryana and Uttar Pradesh in protest against the Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020 and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020.
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They have expressed apprehension that these laws would pave the way for the dismantling of the minimum support price system, leaving them at the "mercy" of big corporations.
However, the government has maintained that the new laws will bring farmers better opportunities and usher in new technologies in agriculture.
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