NEW DELHI: For the first time since the last 44 days since the farmers agitation on different borders of Delhi against the agricultural laws passed in September 2020, the Central government today hardened its stand and quite bluntly made very clear that it ‘Cannot and will not repeal the farm laws.’ 

During the eighth round of talks between the farm unions and the Central team led by Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar and Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal at Vigyan Bhawan today, the government conveniently tossed the issue into the Supreme Court's laps telling the unions that they should leave the matter to the Apex Court's interpretation. 

While farmers reiterated their demands that they will accept nothing less than the repealing of the farm laws and a concrete guarantee for minimum support price procurement system, the government stuck to its stand that either the unions discuss various issues on a point by point basis failing which they should take the legal recourse before the top court.

The government however maintained that discussion on the laws was taken up but no decision could be made. Coming out of the meeting, Tomar said that they have urged that if farmer unions give an option other than repealing, the government will consider it. "They did not present any options, so the meeting was concluded & it was decided to hold next meeting on 15th January," he told reporters after the meeting.

Coming out of the meeting, National spokesperson of Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU), Rakesh Tikait said farmers won't relent unless the laws are repealed. He said, "The government wanted to talk about amendments, but we don't wish to have clause wise discussions. We simply want a repeal of the new farm laws. We're not going anywhere, and we will come on 15th again."

The farmer unions were very clear that their demand was not legal in nature but related to policy decisions taken by the government and thus they would not approach apex court route for resolution

Darshan Pal, president of Krantikari Kisan Union told reporters, "The government wants us to take our issues to the Supreme Court but this is a policy decision we are not going to do that, even if the court asks us to lift the protest, we will not lift the protest and will not list, we will continue protesting peacefully.”

Seeing that the government was hardening its stand, one of the farmer leader Balwant Singh Baharamke present at the meeting was seen holding a note written in Punjabi language which said 'Will die or will win.'

The farm unions have already announced that they would be taking out a big tractor parade on Republic Day to coincide with the official parade, they have also decided to burn copies of the three laws on January 13, a day when the harvest festival of Lohri is celebrated.