Indian government asks protesting farmers to return to negotiations

New Delhi (dpa), 24 Dec, 2020 - The Indian government reached out again on Thursday to the tens of thousands of protesting farmers who have been parked at the borders of the Indian capital for almost a month, braving a chilly winter to demand the repeal of three controversial farm laws.

In a letter to the farmers’ unions spearheading the protest, the Agriculture Ministry’s top official wrote that the government was committed to reaching a logical solution to the issues they have raised and invited them to set a date for further discussions.

The protestors want the withdrawal of three farm laws passed by parliament in September that the government says will modernize farming and increase the incomes of farmers. The farmers fear the laws that aim to ease regulations around storage and marketing of crops will benefit big corporations and leave them at the mercy of the free market.