The protesting farmers are likely to meet Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday evening after they called for a four-hour Bharat Bandh. The farmers are likely to meet Shah today evening before the sixth round of talks scheduled for Wednesday. National spokesperson of Bhartiya Kisan union Rakesh Tikait said farmer leaders will meet the home minister on Tuesday at around 7 pm.
The representatives of the farmers unions who have protesting since November 26 demanding an immediate withdrawal of the farm laws that they apprehend will corporatise farming are scheduled to meet Union ministers on Wednesday for another round of talks. In Wednesday's meeting, the Centre is supposed to new draft to the farmers, though both sides remain quite unwavering on their stance — the protesting farmers on their demand to completely withdraw the laws and the Centre on its decision to amend the laws instead of withdrawing.
This will be the first time that the farmers will be meeting Amit Shah. So far, there have been five rounds of negotiations between the farmers and the Centre since September. The farmers walked out of the first meeting in September as there was no minister present in the meeting. Three rounds of talks took place after the farmers started their 'Dilli Chalo' protest. Though there has been no headway so far, the proposed meeting between the farmers and home minister Amit Shah comes as a significant development, indicating that the top level of the government is engaged in addressing the farmers' issues and overcoming the stalemate situation.
On Wednesday, several opposition parties will also meet and take a collective stand on the ongoing farmers' protest before meeting President Ram Nath Kovind, NCP president Sharad Pawar has said.
