Farmers’ leaders walk out of Krishi Bhawan meeting after minister fails to show up, tear copies of farm laws

Representatives of as many as 29 farmers’ organisations walked out of a meeting shouting “Modi Murdabad'' on Wednesday even as the Agriculture Secretary offered lunch and sweets to the angry farmers’ leaders in an attempt to calm them down.

Accusing the Modi government for trying to create a rift among farmers’ organisations by using a stick and carrot policy, farmers said that the government is not serious about addressing their grievances.

The discussion that was held in Jagdish Chandra Basu Hall at Krishi Bhawan was “unsatisfactory”, a farmer leader said. The leaders tore copies of the newly-enacted farm Acts outside Krishi Bhawan after walking out of the meeting.

“They had offered a meeting with the minister but when we reached we saw a few officials representing the government. We decided to walk out as it was futile to hold the talk with the officials,” said Jagmohan Patiala, general secretary of Bharatiya Kisan Union (Dakonda).

Mohali-based farmer leader Narinder Singh Kang shared a video of the meeting with government officials on his Facebook page wherein angry farmers can be seen walking out of the meeting.

“The Modi government pretends that it is serious about addressing our grievances, but they formed a group of ministers which has been authorised to hold talks with the farmers’ organisation. What kind of approach is this?” asked Patiala.

Farmers’ organisations had formed a seven-member panel on Tuesday to hold talks with the Centre.

Farmers have been demanding that the three farm laws passed by Parliament recently be repealed. Farmers believe that the new laws will pave the way for corporatisation of the farm sector and dismantling of the Minimum Support Price system, leaving them at the “mercy” of big corporates.

The Modi government, however, has claimed that the laws will raise farmers’ income, free them from the clutches of middlemen by providing an open market and usher in new technology in farming.