NEW DELHI: As talks between the Centre and farmers’ union remained inconclusive even after eleven round of discussions, Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar on Sunday said that the protesters are only pressing for repealing of the laws without even analysing the pros and cons.
“The farmer unions only talk about the farm laws’ withdrawal…That is why the discussions so far did not bear any fruit. There is an invisible force that does not want this agitation to end. I can’t see it but I feel there is a force that stresses not ending the agitation and ends up derailing our negotiations,” he told a TV channel.
The minister said that the tune of the farmers’ union always changes the day after our negotiations.
“I don’t know what forces pressurise them. The Centre is sympathetic towards farmers and respects unions and hence laws were brought in to increase the income of farmers,” the agriculture minister asserted.
On the Centre’s offer to put the farm laws on hold for 12-18 months, Tomar said, “We tried to understand their issues, analysed them, and sent the farmers a proposal. They should not have rejected the Centre’s proposal on the farm laws. We could have moved forward had they accepted the proposal.”
“Farm laws were passed under the leadership of PM Narendra Modi and with the farm laws, the government had attempted to make several changes in the agricultural sector for the benefit of the farmers. The Centre is completely sensitive towards the farmers and has taken several steps forward to hold talks with them to resolve the issues,” he added.
On whether the Centre is running out of patience with agitating farmers, the minister said, “I am also a farmer. We haven’t felt the need to be angry. I request them to sacrifice their desire to take out a tractor rally on Republic Day because in a democracy, unions have a right to agitate but my request is that if they decide to go ahead with it on January 26, I am sure the way farmers’ unions have kept the agitation in order, the same will be held in a disciplined order.”