Updated: December 1, 2020 3:35:51 pm
Defense Minister Rajnath Singh. (Archive)
On Tuesday afternoon, when Defense Minister Rajnath Singh began the first rounds of talks With protesting farmers, the government hopes that he will pacify the farmers and lock them in “constructive talks” and find a “middle way” to resolve the crisis, the sources said.
The decision to introduce Singh, considered a moderate and pro-farmer leader in the ruling BJP, was made in the morning when Union Interior Minister Amit Shah, Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar, and Singh met at the residence of the president of the BJP, JP Nadda. His experience as a negotiator during difficult situations affecting farmers was also taken into account, said a BJP source. In October 2018, when thousands of farmers marched to Delhi as part of the Bharatiya Kisan Union’s ‘Kisan Kranti Padyatra’, it was Singh, then the Home Secretary, who held several rounds of talks with farmers after the protest broke out. turned violent.
Last night the government released an official note saying that Tomar would hold talks with farmers in Vigyan Bhavan today at 3pm. However, in the morning, the government decided to introduce Singh for talks.
“This round of talks is considered a peace round. The government expects several rounds of talks before the problem is resolved, “said a source familiar with the events. BJP sources pointed out that while the Home Secretary, known for his sharp organizational skills and political acumen, is not considered a good negotiator, Singh had become the BJP’s political problem solver in recent years.
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Clash between farmers and police during the protest at the Sindhu border in New Delhi on Friday.
“The government cannot allow the talks to collapse in the first round. We need to keep them involved in the talks so that a middle way can be found, ”said the source.
The middle way is necessary because the government is not in the mood to withdraw the controversial farm laws that farmers are protesting. However, since the Minimum Livelihood Price (MSP) is the main concern of farmers, the government could consider making it binding in law, not through an amendment, but through an executive order while framing the rules for the laws, the sources said.
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Farmers on the Singhu Border
“It shouldn’t be a problem, as both the government and the party are committed to the MSPs,” said a BJP leader. “Anyway, talking means giving and receiving from both sides. We are sure that farmers know it too ”, added the leader.
So in Tuesday’s conversation, Singh is expected to “test the temperatures” and try to persuade farmers to call off the Rasta Roko strike announced for December 3. “If we can do it, it would be a great success. But even if farmers agree to speak unconditionally, that is also a step forward, “said the source.
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An empty store on the ground of Burari. The farmers have refused to move to the site assigned by the government. (Express photo by Amit Mehra)
Although BJP leaders maintain that it is a “political protest” limited to Punjab and Haryana, the party leadership wants to ensure that it does not snowball into a national upheaval. The protesting farmers have already said they will be joined by their counterparts from states like Madhya Pradesh and Kerala. “The party does not want that at all costs. As long as it is in the states ruled by the opposition, we can say that it is political and the opposition is sponsoring it. But it will be difficult to manage if it spreads, “said a source.
Singh would provide the feedback to the group of high-level ministers, who would then come up with a “formula” to solve the problem. That would later be sent to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for approval before it is returned to the farmers, the sources added.
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