Union agriculture minister Narendra Singh Tomar said on Friday the Centre hasn’t yet received any reply from farmers’ unions on the proposals to consider in place of their demand for a repeal of the three farm laws and that he got to know about their rejection of the suggestions through media. The government had on Wednesday sent a draft proposal of amendments to farmers in order to resolve the dispute over the three agriculture laws. However, the farmers union had rejected the proposal, sticking to their demand to repeal the laws.
“Our proposal is with them (farmers). They discussed it but we have not received any reply from them. We came to know through media that they have rejected the proposal. Yesterday, I had said that if they want to, we can definitely talk about the proposal,” Tomar was quoted as saying by news agency ANI. Tomar’s comment comes as hundreds of farmers from Punjab and Haryana are protesting in and around different borders of Delhi against the new farm laws that were passed by the Centre in September.
Requesting the farmers to end their agitation, Tomar stressed on the trouble being faced by the people of Delhi due to the protests. “Agitation causes problems for the common people too. People of Delhi are facing troubles. So, they (farmers) should end their agitation in the interest of the common people and try to solve issues with the help of talks,” he said.
The agriculture minister again assured the farmers that the new farm laws will prove to be beneficial for them and help them live a better life. “Laws made by the government have been formed after a lot of deliberation – to bring a change in the lives of farmers, to remove the injustice that was being done to them for years. It was done to ensure that farmers could live better lives and indulge in beneficial agriculture,” Tomar said.
The minister expressed hope of finding a mutual ground, saying that the Centre was ready to make changes in the farm laws after discussion. “We agree that we are not the over-ruling power and Unions might also have something in their mind. So, the government is ready to make reforms in the laws after talks,” Tomar said. “I think we will find a solution. I am hopeful. I would like to urge the farmers’ unions that they should break the deadlock. The government has sent them a proposal. If there is an objection over the provisions of an act, the discussion will be held over it,” he added.
Clearing the confusion over the minimum support price system, Tomar referred to his remarks given in Parliament on the matter, saying that no document can be more powerful to assure that MSP will continue. “PM Modi had spoken about this and I had assured on the floors of both the Houses. If it’s being said in Parliament, it is a recorded document. It expresses the intention of the government. There can be no document more powerful than that. MSP will continue. No one should doubt it,” he further said.
Since November 26, thousands of farmers have been protesting the three farm laws – the Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020, and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020.
