Indian government ready for talks with protesting farmers: minister

Protesters shout slogans as they pay tribute to farmers who lost their lives of natural causes while participating in protests against the central government's recent agricultural reforms, in Amritsar on December 20, 2020. (File/AFP)

• The protesters have blocked roads connecting New Delhi with the neighboring states of Haryana and Uttar Pradesh

NEW DELHI: The Indian government is ready to hold further talks with farmers protesting for the repeal of agricultural reform laws, Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar said on Tuesday.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government has been urging the farmers to engage in talks to end the deadlock over the three reform laws introduced in September but the farmers will not relent on their demands, saying the laws would hit them economically while benefiting big retailers.
“We assure our farmers that we’ll listen to them with an open mind,” Tomar told foreign journalists.
The protesters have blocked roads connecting New Delhi with the neighboring states of Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, obstructing public transport and the supply of fruit and vegetables.