Union minister Piyush Goyal on Saturday said the government fully trusts farmers of India and is sure that they will not allow “Maoist and Naxal forces to influence the people across the country.” Goyal said he was confident that farmers will get over the influence of “Maoists and Naxalites” and meet and discuss with the central leadership a solution to the deadlock over three farm laws enacted by the government in September.
“They (farmers) come for negotiation here, no one is ready to form a committee. Naxals create an atmosphere of fear and that is why the farmers’ leaders could not gather the courage to talk about the issues,” the minister told news agency ANI.
The Union minister, who was part of the meetings between Centre and the agitating farmers to break the impasse, said the December 8 Bharat Bandh wasn’t successful even as 18 opposition parties backed it. He also blamed the opposition parties for supporting the nationwide strike, which he said had “failed miserably” as India did not shut down. “Bharat chalega, Bharat aur tez chalega, daudega (India will progress, it will progress at a faster pace)’,” Goyal added.
He said people understand that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is working towards a new and self-reliant nation. They know he is working to double the income of farmers and create employment opportunities, especially for the youth, Goyal added. He reassured farmers that the agricultural reforms do not change or hamper none of the existing arrangements. The aim of the new legislation is to free the farmers from any past shackles and bring new opportunities for them, he added.
{{/usCountry}}He said people understand that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is working towards a new and self-reliant nation. They know he is working to double the income of farmers and create employment opportunities, especially for the youth, Goyal added. He reassured farmers that the agricultural reforms do not change or hamper none of the existing arrangements. The aim of the new legislation is to free the farmers from any past shackles and bring new opportunities for them, he added.
{{/usCountry}}Meanwhile, Union agriculture minister Narendra Singh Tomar said a group of “progressive farmers’ leaders” have submitted a memorandum backing the three farm laws liberalising agricultural markets. Also, Haryana deputy chief minister Dushyant Chautala met the Union minister earlier in the day and said he was hopeful that the next round of talks between the Centre and the farmers will be held “in the next 24 to 48 hours” and will lead to a conclusive result.
The three contentious laws - 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 - have triggered protests across the country, with thousands of peasants camping at Delhi’s borders to demand their scrapping.