"We Brought Our Own Food": Farmers Deny Lunch Offered By Govt During Meeting

Representatives of over 30 farmers' organisations refused to eat lunch offered by the centre during the meeting on Thursday, December 3 in the national capital. During the lunch break, farmers said "no" to the food offered by the government and stuck to the langar, which they brought in a van from Singhu border.

"They offered us food, we denied and are having our langar, which we have brought with us," a farmer leader said.

Several images and videos from inside Vigyan Bhawan, where the meeting was held, showed the farmers' representatives assembled at a long table for lunch. Some were also seen sitting on the ground in a corner.

"We are not accepting food or tea offered by the government," another farmer leader said.

The farmers, who have been protesting against the centre's contentious farm laws for over eight days, gave a presentation in the first half of the meeting, focusing on the repercussions of the law.

Demanding a special session of parliament to withdraw the laws, the farmers said this was the "last chance" for the centre.

Only legalising the Minimum Support Price (MSP) "will not serve the purpose", the farmers' representatives said. "We will not leave till the government repeals the three farmer acts. We will give our demands again," they added.

For nearly three months, farmers have been agitating against the centre's 'historic reforms'.

Three bills - Farmers' and Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020 and Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill, 2020 - were passed in September.

The centre claims that the new farm laws will improve farmers' income by allowing them to sell produce anywhere in the country. The contentious bills which farmers say are "anti-farmer", aim to provide a barrier-free trade for farmers' produce outside notified farm mandis and to empower farmers into farming agreements with private players prior to production for sale of agri-produce.

However, the farmers claim that the laws could lead to the government stopping the system of buying grain at minimum support price (MSP).

Meanwhile, an apex body of transporters has threatened to stop the movement of essential goods across the country if the demands of the farmers are not met. The All-India Motor Transport Congress (AIMTC) which represents nearly 10 million truckers, called for a strike from December 8 in support of the farmers' protest.

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