Despite assurances of a favourable resolution from the government, the farmers are refusing to negotiate and are turning adamant day-by-day. Even after eight rounds of talks between the centre and the farmers, the matter remains unresolved.
It has come to light that the reason for this is the disagreement among the farmers themselves, with some nefarious troublemakers wanting to prolong the protests. Wanting a proactive solution, a split seems to emerge between the farmers with the ones wanting a resolution promising to “throw out” the troublemakers.
Chaudhary Naresh Tikait, the National President of the Bharatiya Kisan Union, said that while they are ready for a solution from the government, but some people amidst the committee of 40 members are immersed in taking the matter forwards instead of resolving it. He said that such people will either be “explained or excluded” from the negotiations.
Tikait made this statement when he arrived as the chief guest of the Akhil Bhartiya Kushti Mahasangh organised at the venue of the UP Gate Movement. “We do not want multiple stands from the farmers’ side. When 38 people are moving in one direction, two others shouldn’t be taking a different path. We will try to identify them in a meeting and talk to them,” he told the Times of India.
This statement of Chaudhary Naresh Tikait comes days after the Modi Government said that it “cannot, and will not” repeal the three farm laws. The centre has further asked the farmers to move the Supreme Court if they are dissatisfied with the discussions.
This lack of consensus amongst the farmers is because certain nefarious players, for reasons best known to them, are spending their entire energy in blocking the talks, instead of resolving them. These same set of protesters are the ones who are disrupting events and causing havoc in the nation. Exhibiting this, yesterday, a throng of protestors stormed the venue of a ‘Kisan panchayat’ organised by the BJP in Karnal district of Haryana, forcing Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar to cancel his visit.
Such incidents are not a rare occurrence. Protestors are turning obstinate by the day, and are unwilling to negotiate. The attempts at mediation ongoing between the central government and the farmers can only be fruitful if both sides are willing to commit reasonably. But it is becoming clear that a certain section of the protestors is least interested in that and is unwilling to stand down, despite their fellow protesters urging them to. The next round of negotiations between the centre and the farmers will take place on 15th January.