Farm bills row : SC Says “Govt talks bound to fail”, proposes Centre-Farmer panel for talks

New Delhi/Dec,16:The government’s negotiations with farmers on the controversial farm laws “will not work and are bound to fail again”, the Supreme Court said today, proposing panel that includes representatives of the centre as well as farmers’ associations from across the country. “This will soon become a national issue and will have to solve through negotiations,” Chief Justice of India SA Bobde said as the top court heard petitions on the farmer protests.
The government told the court that it will not do anything against farmers, adding that dialogue will be on “clause to clause basis”. “Different ministers talked to them. But they turned their chairs back and did not talk to them,” the government’s lawyer said.Five meetings have taken place between the protesting farmers and the government. Union Home Minister Amit Shah also met the farmers. So far, the farmers have rejected the government’s offer to make amendments to the three new laws enacted in September. They want the laws scrapped altogether and say mere assurances on MSP will not do. Thousands of farmers have been camping on the outskirts of Delhi since late November demanding the government repeal the laws that they say will eventually dismantle the country’s regulated markets and leave them at the mercy of private buyers.