Farmers’ protest: Govt ready to amend farm laws, says Agriculture Minister as agitation crosses 100 days
Thousands of farmers, mainly from Punjab, Haryana and Western Uttar Pradesh, are protesting at Delhi borders for over three months, seeking a repeal of these three legislations and a legal guarantee of the minimum support price (MSP).
FollowNew Delhi: Union agriculture minister Narendra Singh Tomar once again said on Saturday that the government is ready to amend the three farm laws, against which the farmers have been protesting for over 100 days. The protesters have been demanding the withdrawal of the three contentious laws.
Addressing the 5th national convention of Agrivision, the Union minister said the government has held 11 rounds of talks with farmer unions and has even offered to amend these laws.
Thousands of farmers, mainly from Punjab, Haryana and Western Uttar Pradesh, are protesting at Delhi borders for over three months, seeking a repeal of these three legislations and a legal guarantee of the minimum support price (MSP).
Tomar asked “how this agitation can do good to the farmer” and if opposition should come “at the cost of the country”.
“Loktantra mein asahmati ka apna sthaan hai, virodh ka bhi apna sthaan hai, matbhed ke bhi apane mahatv hai, lekin kya virodh is keemat par kiya jana chahiye jo desh ka nuksaan kare? Aaj jo aandolan chal raha hai, vah aandolan kis tarah se kisaan ka bhala kar sakta hai, is baat par koi baat karne ko taiyaar nahin hain (There is a place for disagreement and opposition in democracy. Differences also have their own importance, but should opposition come at a price that will harm the country? The agitation that is going on today, no one is willing to talk about how this can do good to the farmer),” Tomar said at ‘Agrivision 2021’, organised by Vidyarthi Kalyan Nyas, in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Ministry of Fisheries and Animal Husbandry, and the ABVP on Saturday.
"No one is ready to talk on how these protests can be in the interest of farmers," said Tomar.
Tomar said that farmer unions as well as the Opposition parties have failed to point out faults in provisions of these laws.
"Everyone is free to have any political view in democracy, but the new generation must think, should there be any politics by sacrificing farmers or by hurting farmers' interest or at the cost of the agriculture economy," he asked.
He said that the government's proposal to amend laws does not mean that there were any deficiencies in these reform laws. He said the government has made a proposal to amend these laws as farmers continue to be the face of this ongoing protest.
The Supreme Court has stayed the implementation of these laws and formed a committee on the issue, the government to has said that it is ready to suspend these laws for 18 months but the farmers have been adamant with their demand that they should be withdrawn.
Eleven rounds of talks between the Centre and 41 protesting farmer unions have so far remained deadlocked. The government has offered concessions including suspension of the legislations for 12-18 months and setting up a joint panel to find solutions, but the unions have rejected.
(With inputs from agency)
