Days before the tenth round of talks with agitating farmers in New Delhi, Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar on Sunday asked them to shed the stubbornness over the demand for the repeal of the farm laws and suggest amendments.
In a statement, Tomar said the three farm laws have received widespread support from farmers, intellectuals and scientists and were passed keeping in the mind the interest of farmers all over the country.
“The Supreme Court has already stayed the implementation of three laws. I think the issue of insisting on a repeal of laws no longer exists,” the agriculture minister said and urged farmers to give clause-wise objections to the three laws.
Farmers’ unions said the minister's remarks were made to dissuade farmers from joining the 10th round of talks with the government on Tuesday.
“We will attend the talks on Tuesday and once again ask the government to repeal the three laws,” the Sanyuta Kisan Morcha said.
He expressed dismay at the farmer unions’ refusal to budge from their stance of demanding the repeal of the laws.
“When the government enacts the law, it is for the entire country. A large section of the farmers, intellectuals, scientists and persons involved in the farm sector agree with these laws and have stood by them,” the minister said.
“In the clause-by-clause discussions, if we find the concerns raised by farmers valid, the government can consider the same and move in the direction of amendments,” the minister said.
On Tuesday, the Supreme Court stayed the implementation of the three farm laws and set up a committee to hear out the concerns raised by various stakeholders and submit its report within two months.