Punjab: Protesting farmers to observe 'black Diwali'

Amid the continued deadlock between the Centre and Punjab's farmer unions, the protesting farmers on Saturday announced to observe 'black Diwali' against the 'black' agricultural laws.

Their day-long talks ended inconclusively in Delhi on Friday.

"We will light mashals (torches) on Diwali night as a sign of our sangharsh (protest)," a statement by the BKU Ekta (Dakaunda) said.

A day earlier, Chief Minister Amarinder Singh welcomed the positive spirit in which the farmers' unions and the Centre held discussions on the imbroglio over the farm laws and other related issues.

Terming it a constructive development, the Chief Minister said the meeting had, for the first time, enabled the two sides to talk in an open environment and hoped it would pave the way for breaking the stalemate on the issue.

The fact that both sides came to the table and agreed to find solutions suggests that they had come to a mutual realisation on the need to find solutions to the prolonged crisis triggered by the farm laws, he said.

Citing media reports, the Chief Minister hoped the farmer unions' internal discussions on November 18, ahead of another meeting with the Central government on November 21, would help identify the concrete ways and means to thrash  out the various points raised at Friday's extensive discussions.

Punjab, which has suffered huge financial losses due to the Covid-19 pandemic, has been badly hit by the current crisis triggered by the Central agricultural laws, said Amarinder Singh, as stressed on the need for urgent resolution  of the matter in the interest of the state and all sections of its populace.