Farmer leaders ready to resume talks with Govt on Dec 29

The protesting farmer unions on Saturday decided to resume their dialogue with the government and have proposed December 29 as the date for the next round of talks to resolve the deadlock over the Centre''s three farm laws. The decision was taken at a meeting of Sanyukt Kisan Morcha, an umbrella body of 40 farmer unions protesting at various Delhi border points against the new agriculture laws.

Addressing a press conference, farmer leaders made it clear that the modalities for the repeal of three farm laws and guarantee for MSP -- minimum support price at which the government procures crops from farmers -- should be part of the agenda for resuming talks with the government.At the press conference, farmer leader Darshan Pal said that it was also decided that farmers will hold tractor march on the Kundli-Manesar-Palwal (KMP) highway on December 30 in protest against the Centre''s agri laws.

"We request people from Delhi and other parts of country to come and celebrate New Year with protesting farmers," Pal said.Another farmer leader, Rajinder Singh, said, "We will march from Singhu to Tikri to KMP. We ask farmers from surrounding states to come in huge numbers in their trolleys and tractors. If the govt doesn''t want us to block the KMP highway, then they better announce the repeal of the three farm laws."