Sure farmers’ leaders will ‘actively arrive’ at a solution: Union minister Tomar

Earlier on Wednesday, Attorney General KK Venugopal told the Supreme Court that there are chances that the government and the agitating farmers’ leaders will come to an agreement.

Union minister Narendra Singh Tomar on Wednesday remained confident farmers unions’ leaders and the Centre will be able to settle differences regarding the new farm laws, ahead of the next round of discussions to be held on Friday. Both sides had held the seventh round of talks on Monday, which ended in a stalemate after three Union ministers part of the negotiations said it was not possible to commit to a rollback of the legislation without wider consultations with higher authorities.

Union minister for agriculture and farmers welfare Narendra Singh Tomar addresses media after the seventh round of talks between the farmer leaders and the Centre, at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi. (PTI)

“We are committed to the welfare of farmers. We meet those who are supporting the laws and those opposing it. I am sure that farmers’ unions, who are agitating, will think about the welfare of farmers and actively arrive at a solution,” Tomar was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.

Earlier on Wednesday, Attorney General KK Venugopal told the Supreme Court that there are chances that the government and the agitating farmers’ leaders will come to an agreement. A Supreme Court bench comprising Chief Justice of India SA Bobde and two other judges were hearing petitions against the passage of these bills during the monsoon session last year. The top court urged both the parties to hold discussions and hoped that they could reach an amicable solution. “We want to encourage talks. We will keep the matters on Monday and if AG tells us that talks are on, we will adjourn the matter,” the bench said.

Farmers’ leader Yogendra Yadav had on Tuesday warned that the protests against the three farm laws will intensify if the government continues to disagree with the farmers over their demands. Yadav while speaking to the media said that farmers will take out a tractor march from all protest sites to the Kundli-Manesar-Palwal (KMP) highway on January 7.

Farmer leader Joginder Nain said they have also proposed to take out another tractor march on Republic Day on January 26. “We will send 10 tractor-trolleys from every village in Haryana. We request people to come - at least one from a house. And a total of 11 women from a village,” Nain was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.

Farmers are agitating since November last year against 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. The farmers’ groups believe that these three laws will affect the procurement under the Minimum Support Price system and allow private and multinational companies to make profits off farmers as it will encourage corporate farming.

The government continues to stress that these laws will help farmers to sell their produce at any market, across the country and will introduce a level-playing field which will help farmers double their income.