Rajnath, 2 other Union Ministers to talk to agitating farmers

The Central government is making an all-out effort to reach out to farmers protesting against the new farm laws aimed at liberalizing the agriculture sector. Three senior ministers of the Narendra Modi government—Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Union Minister of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare Narendra Singh Tomar, and Minister of Railways Piyush Goyal—will meet farmers’ unions on Friday. The meeting will be held at Singh’s residence.

As many as 31 farmers’ organizations have been protesting against three laws—the Farmers’ Produce, Trade and Commerce (Promotion And Facilitation) Act, the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act.

These laws will help create a free market for sale of farm produce, but these have faced stringent opposition from the Opposition, statist activists, and some sections of farmers.

Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Harsimrat Kaur Badal, a member of Modi’s cabinet, resigned in protest against the laws. This was despite SAD being one of the oldest allies of Bharatiya Janata Party.

Punjab, the first state to formally oppose the farm laws in October, rejected the laws. In order to counter each of them, the state Assembly passed three Bills of its own.

Earlier Modi had said that farm reforms will empower farmers by giving them the much-required freedom to sell their produce.

The Indian Express said that the “Defence Minister has invited farmers over lunch and has kept ample time for this meeting so that all Union ministers can listen to each and every grievance of farmers to provide them a possible solution.”

The farmers fear that an open market would end the minimum support price (MSP) of their produce.

Agriculture is a highly sensitive subject in India. While several governments have tried to push reforms in the farm sector, there has been little headway. Interestingly, the Congress, which vehemently opposed the passage of the farm Bills, had tried to bring in reforms when UPA was in power..