Updated: December 23, 2020 9:05:45 am
Narendra Singh Tomar with farmers who support new laws.
WHILE adhering to its stance not to repeal the new farm laws, the Center is open to any suggestions that help break the deadlock with protesting farmers, including modifying the laws or even creating a committee as suggested by the Supreme Court.
With protesters camped out on Delhi’s borders for nearly a month, official sources said, the government is open-minded about ideas if agricultural groups show signs of a reconciling approach. The government is also formulating a response to the Supreme Court’s suggestion whether the implementation of the laws can be suspended pending talks.
Aware of the sentiments evoked by the protests in Punjab, senior Union ministers, including Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar, Defense Minister Rajnath Singh and Interior Minister Amit Shah, and senior officials also participate in secret talks. with socio-political groups and the Sikh community. leaders to find a “middle way” and “bring protesting farmers back to the table to discuss.”
On Tuesday, Tomar urged farmers to decide on a date for the talks two days after his ministry invited farm unions to discuss further.
Narendra Singh Tomar.
“But any concession from the government can only come if the discussions continue,” said the sources.
According to the sources, the government is ready for the “long term” and “is confident that the reform initiatives it has taken will benefit farmers.” But he is also aware that “both the optics and the relentless protests” would damage his image, they said.
“Even if it’s farmers from just one state, the images of them sitting in protest don’t look good to any government. But we believe that the Government has had enough discussions and deliberations on these laws. In fact, discussions about these have been going on since 2001 (when the NDA government under AB Vajpayee was in power), ”the sources said.
“As of now, we have no alternative plans to end this. A solution to this cannot be found unless the discussions continue. The situation may change, there may be a middle way, but there should be discussions. Without conversations, it can last a long time, ”the sources said.
On Tuesday, during an interaction with members of the Foreign Correspondents Club, Tomar said: “The Government is ready to discuss all suggestions. We are ready to discuss with an open mind and find a solution to any provision of the law that goes against the farmer … By arguing over and over again, we come to a solution … I think we will find a way soon and move towards a solution. “
Farmers protest the new Farm Bill on the Gazipur-New Delhi border on Sunday. (Express photo by Abhinav Saha)
The agriculture minister said the focus of the laws is to benefit farmers “by freeing them from the shackles” of the mandi (APMC). “These reforms have been made in the interest of farmers and will bring a new era in Indian agriculture,” he said.
Stating that the government is committed to reforms, Tomar said: “When the reform process begins, first people will make jokes, then there will be protests and then acceptance. We are going through this process ”.
Tomar’s comments came two days after his ministry invited agricultural leaders to a new round of talks and urged them to “choose a date according to their convenience.” The previous five rounds of official talks were inconclusive.
Last week, the Supreme Court had asked the Attorney General if the Center could commit that agricultural laws will not be implemented while hearing a handful of petitions seeking the removal of farmers from protest sites.
The court also said it was considering the creation of an “impartial and independent” panel of agricultural experts and farmers’ unions to resolve the deadlock.
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