It has now become a subject matter of intense debate across various fora why the ongoing talks between the farmer unions and the Central government over the three farm laws have repeatedly failed. As a last resort perhaps the proposal came from the Centre that the contentious laws would be kept in abeyance for 18 months and it was hoped that this would end the deadlock, at least temporarily and the farmers would head for home. But, it has not been so and this is really an unprecedented happening till date. There is no need for hunting the reason(s) since it’s clear as daylight that there exists not even the minimum iota of trust in the affair, the gravity of which in the national context  was echoed by none other than the Supreme Court a few weeks ago. The tractor march on the Republic Day to be organised by the farmers in the national capital, the epicentre of the protest, as per the updated inputs on late Saturday evening, is going to take place. While there is no immediate light in sight as one anticipates the colour of the future days, it will be a gross injustice to hold the farmers wholly responsible for the current stalemate. Why this unbreakable stand?  The seeds of mistrust were sown six months before and now that the plant has started appearing, the ‘heat’ which is now well perceptible will be unbearable in the coming days.

The media has captured the mood of the farmers from day one and as the rounds of talks progressed, it became clear that the gulf of mistrust has only widened. It is a great discredit of the  ruling dispensation at the Centre that even after retaining power for the second time with a greater majority they are not being trusted. A perception is on the making now across the country that had it been any other government, the farmers would have called off their protest after receiving the assurance that the laws would not be implemented for 18 months. The sentiments of these hard working and simple-minded people have been deeply hurt and its origin can be traced to  the events when the laws were brought through ordinances in June when the country was in lockdown. No appeals coming from the stakeholders, close or distant were given ears and the tried and tested route of involving the Select Committee in Parliament was brazenly discarded. The operation of giving legal attire to the ordinances was done in a lighting speed which only brought an air of suspicion, now articulated by the farmers vociferously.  

There is no way out but to repeal the laws totally. The sooner it is done the better for all.