Maoists have entered farmers' agitation, not letting the issue get resolved: BJP leader Harjit Singh Grewal after meeting PM. (PTI)
Volunteers of an NGO are planning to set up a temporary hospital with two beds for the protestingfarmersat the Singhu border.
The NGO, Life Care Foundation, had set up a medical camp at the Singhu border on November 30 last year.
Sadiq Mohammad, a pharmacist and a volunteer of the NGO, said the rains have delayed their plans.
"We had planned to start the emergency hospital from Wednesday, but it has been delayed due to the rains. Our tent started leaking. We will install a tent with better waterproofing on Wednesday. In another couple of days, the hospital will be set up in a portion of the tent," he said.
Sadiq said there are eight volunteers of the NGO, including pharmacists and technicians, who have come to the Singhu border from Punjab's Mohali district. Five of them sleep in the tent, while three have opted for a paying guest accommodation in a nearby area.
PTI
In Monday's talks, the two sides did not even discuss another key demand of farmers for a legal guarantee to the Minimum Support Price (MSP) procurement system. Unlike the last round of talks on December 30, the ministers did not join the union leaders for the langar food and were seen having their own discussion separately during the break, which lasted for almost two hours. Credit: PTI Photo
Camping at Delhi borders for over a month now, protesting farmers seem undeterred in the face of severe cold, rains and waterlogging, and firm on their demands for repeal of farm laws and legal backing for MSP even as talks with the government remained inconclusive.
On Monday, the seventh round of talks were held to resolve the deadlock. The unions stuck to their demand for a complete repeal of the new farm laws they find pro-corporate, while the government wanted to discuss only "problematic" clauses or other alternatives. The two sides will meet again on January 8.
Speaking to reporters after the meet, Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar said he expected positive talks and a possible resolution in the next meeting, but asserted that "efforts need to be made from both sides for a solution".
Madhya Pradesh agriculture minister Kamal Patel on Monday said farmers staging protest on Delhi borders against the Centre's new agri laws have rejected pleas to end their stir as they are "enacting a drama to sleep" and it is not possible to "awake" such persons.
Patel's comments came in the backdrop of the agitating farmers ignoring repeated pleas by the Centre to end their over a month-long stir and on a day when another round of talks between the two sides ended inconclusively in New Delhi.
"They (agitators) are not listening to us as we can awake a person who is actually sleeping, but not the one who is enacting a drama to sleep, he told reporters.
The seventh round of talks between agitating farmers and the government remained deadlocked on Monday with the farmers sticking to their demand for rollback of agricultural reforms. Farmer leaders said the government sought more time for internal consultations and the next meeting is scheduled for January 8. All eyes would be on the Supreme Court on Tuesday when the Chief Justice’s court would hear the eight petitions challenging the three farm sector laws and related matters.The apex court had asked the agitating farmers’ unions to be made a party to the proceedings, but the protesters insisted that they had not sought a legal remedy and were seeking a solution from the executive.
As farmer protests in Delhi against three contentious farm laws entered their second month, thousands of farmers have made the highway their homes, helping each other sustain by maintaining a supply of essentials from their villages back in Punjab and Haryana. But one farmer at the Singhu border has set up a fully equipped temporary home in his truck.
Haryana Leader of Opposition Bhupinder Singh Hooda on Monday said the Congress Legislature Party will provide financial assistance of Rs 2 lakh each to families of farmers who have died during the agitation against the Centre’s farm laws.
Hours after Reliance approached the Punjab and Haryana HC against the damage to its cellular infrastructure and forcible closure of its stores, a pan-India farmers' body said the affidavit filed by the firm in the court is full of "false" claims.
Continuing her tirade against the Centre over the new farm laws, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday said arrangements would soon be made to convene an assembly session to pass a resolution against the contentious legislations.