Farmers representatives and the Centre will be meeting in New Delhi for the eighth round of talks regarding the deadlock persisting the new farm laws. The protesting farmers have warned of carrying a tractor rally on Republic Day if their demands are not met soon.
The last meeting, on January 4, failed to break the deadlock with farmers insisting on the repeal of the new laws which was enacted in September.
"I am hopeful that talks will be held in a positive atmosphere and a solution will be found. During discussions, each side has to take steps to reach a solution," Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Tomar said today ahead of the meeting.
Today's meeting, to be held at Vigyan Bhavan in New Delhi, is scheduled to commence at 2 pm.
Hundreds of farmers took out a tractor rally on Thursday, along the Delhi borders calling it a rehearsal for the planned one planned for January 26 if again there is no resolution.
Following the seventh round of talks, at least one farmer union involved in the discussions had asked the protesters to prepare themselves as this will be a long protest, since the government had refused to consider the repeal of the laws.
Both sides seem to have toughened their respective stands after the 7th round of meeting. While farmers took out tractor rallies, on Wednesday, Mr Tomar met Sanjay Nath Singh, the grandson of former PM Lal Bahadur Shastri.
Supporting the laws, Mr Singh said the MSP system was started by PM Shastri to protect the interests of Farmers and contours of the agricultural economy, however, had changed today and farmers should be given the freedom to sell their produce.
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Mr Tomar has also met a Sikh priest named Baba Lakha Singh of Ludhiana's Nanaksar Gurudwara to negotiate between the government and the farmers. The priest is associated with the Sant Samaj, which held influence during the Akali Dal-BJP government in Punjab and amongst the invitees for the Ayodhya Ram temple Bhoomi Pujan.
Thousands of farmers from Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and other states are camping at various Delhi borders since late November, demanding the repeal of the three farm laws which they believe would threaten their financial position and bargaining power, whereas the Centre says it will benefit them a could sell their produce in a wider market.