Ever since the three farm bills were passed in both the houses of the Parliament, farmers have been holding several protests across the country. Protest doesn’t seem to be getting over in the national capital.
As per a newspaper screenshot, amid an ongoing protest against three farm laws, a delegation of 29 farmers from Haryana has come out in support of the new laws. Several farmer leaders met Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar on Saturday to extend their support to the new legislations and threatened to stage a protest if laws are withdrawn.
The delegation, led by Bharatiya Kisan Union’s (Mann) Haryana State leader Guni Prakash, submitted a “letter of support” to Mr. Tomar on the farm laws passed by Parliament in September and demanded the government to continue with these legislations.
“We will also protest if the government repeals the laws. We have given a memorandum to all districts,” Mr. Prakash told reporters after the meeting.
He also asked why the previous government did not implement the recommendations of the Swaminathan Commission till 2014.
“Everyone has a right to protest. They have, so do we. We are in support of the three laws, but this protest is being led by Leftists and those who are violent,” he said.
Claiming that the ongoing farmers’ agitation is no longer a peasant movement, the BKU leader said, “It has taken a political colour. Farmers will get real freedom through these three laws.”
This was the second group of farmers from Haryana that met Mr. Tomar and extended support to the farm laws. The first group had met the Minister on December 7.
Tomar said, “Members of All India Kisan Coordination Committee had come from Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Maharashtra and Bihar. They supported farm laws and gave us a letter on the same. They said that the Modi government has done this for the welfare of farmers and that they welcome and support it”.
Tomar said that the government is ready to hold talks with farmers. It is up to the farmers’ leaders who have to decide when they want the next meeting to be held.
Thousands of farmers, largely from Punjab and Haryana, have been staging protests against the farm laws and have taken pledge to intensify their agitation if the government did not withdraw the laws. There have been five rounds of talks between the Centre and representatives of 40 farmers’ unions so far and they have remained inconclusive.
The government has made it clear that it is ready for discussion anytime. But the farmer unions have said they would come for talks only if the laws are repealed.
Disclaimer: The information provided above is extracted from a newspaper screenshot and online websites. The statement of ministers in charge makes it clear there are several farmers’ organizations which have come out in the support of new farm laws. TheYouth is not able to verify how many farmers’ organizations exactly have extended their support.
