Pained to see farmers protesting in cold, hopeful of resolution soon: Agriculture minister Narendra Tomar
The central government is working to resolve grievances from farmers protesting in Delhi, Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar said on Wednesday.
Speaking to India Today TV about an exclusive interview, the minister said he was confident the matter would soon be resolved through talks.
“It also hurts me to see old farmers and women protesting in the cold and in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic. I hope we can find a way out,” said Narendra Singh Tomar.
In response to comments from some of his party colleagues and some opposition leaders who claimed that the people protesting in Delhi were not farmers and that the protest had been “kidnapped” by Khalistani elements, Tomar replied that it was “unwise and too early”. to say such things about any protest.
“I believe that farmers have come to voice their concerns and it is my duty to hear them,” he said, adding that opposition parties should not use farmers for their policies.
When asked about the talks between the government and the farmers’ unions, the minister said the government was ready to speak. “We held talks before the protests and are still ready to speak now.”
“I feel and I hope that we can solve the problem through discussion,” he said.
At MSP’s request: Can’t have the law for everything
When asked why the government is so refusing to accept farmers’ demand that crops outside the mandi system not be procured from private actors at a price below the Minimum Support Price (MSP), that guarantee should be part of the law his. The minister said: “Everything cannot be brought under law.”
“There are some matters that are dealt with on the basis of administrative decisions. We cannot have laws for everything. It is not a matter of ego. But not everything can be decided by law. Laws are one aspect of governance, rules are another and administrative decision-making is the third aspect, “said Tomar.
In defense of his position, he added that no law was required for matters governed by administrative decisions.
“MSP has never been part of the law, and even today the decision on MSP is an administrative decision. The Modi government is fully committed to ensuring that farmers receive MSP,” said Tomar.
He added that the Prime Minister had already reassured farmers that the MSP system would continue.
“I also made it clear in Parliament that the MSP system would continue. If PM Modi had been reluctant to MSP, why should he increase MSP for crops? Today, farmers across India are benefiting from the increase in MSP introduced by our government.”
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