Protesting farmers, Govt hold talks

The Government of India is holding the eighth round of formal talks with the farmers’ groups agitating against three recent farm reform laws on January 8. Union Minister for Agriculture Narendra Singh Tomar expressed hope that a resolution will come out by meeting.

The eighth round of talks between three Union ministers — Narendra Singh Tomar, Piyush Goyal and Som Parkash — and the 40 protesting farmer unions to end the farmers’ agitation is being held at the Vigyan Bhawan.

The last seven rounds of talks between the Centre and the protesting farmers remained inconclusive, although there was some breakthrough at the December 30 meeting when the government conceded to two demands of the agitating farmers pertaining to power subsidy and stubble-burning.