(REUTERS): The Indian government today (Tuesday) has appealed to farmers, protesting over agricultural laws that they say threaten their livelihoods, to hold further talks to break a nearly month-long deadlock.
However, the disgruntled farmers have declined to relent unless the Narendra Modi-led government repeals the agricultural reform laws. Thousands of protesters have camped on the outskirts of New Delhi for over three weeks to protest against new laws that the government says would increase farmers’ income.
Indian government urged the farmers to engage in talks to end the deadlock over the three reform laws introduced in September, but the farmers insist the laws would hit them economically while benefiting big retailers.
“We assure our farmers that we’ll listen to them with an open mind. The government was open to amend the new laws,” Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar told foreign journalists.
He, however, declined to say whether the government could consider withdrawal of these laws as demanded by protesters. The minister also urged India’s diaspora to help the government to convince farmers.
Protesters have been getting support from tens of thousands of overseas Indians mainly from Punjab, who have organised demonstrations in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia in support of the protests.
