Centre offers to put farm laws on hold for 1-1.5 years

NEW DELHI: The Centre proposed suspending the implementation of three contentious farm laws for up to a year and a half so that the government and protesting farmers can arrive at a consensus on them. The government said a joint committee will also be set up toward this end. The farmers’ unions said they will revert on Friday after discussing the proposal among themselves. They said the government had offered to suspend the laws for as much as two years.
Farmers said the government had been forced into making the move due to the nearly two-month-long protests at sites on Delhi’s borders but that they are still committed to the repeal of the laws.

“The Supreme Court has put the implementation on hold for small duration,” Union agriculture minister Narendra Tomar told reporters after the meeting, referring to the apex court’s recent ruling. “We proposed to suspend it for one and half years. During this time, we will form a committee comprising representatives from farmers and government to arrive at a mutually agreed resolution on the three laws and their demand on minimum support price (MSP).”

He said the government had wanted to resolve the “crisis” at the 10th meeting held on Wednesday between the two sides to commemorate the birth anniversary of the 10th Sikh Guru--Guru Gobind Singh.

“We started with a firm mind of discussion as per the provisions of farm laws,” he said. “But today is dedicated to Guru Gobind Singhji. So we wanted resolution of this issue. Hence, we have given them the proposal of suspending the laws, which the unions have agreed to think over.”

Tomar said that if the unions agree to the proposal, the committee comprising government representatives and farmers will work in parallel to the panel appointed by the Supreme Court to arrive at a resolution of differences. “We are committed to the Supreme Court,” Tomar said. “But government is also directly accountable to farmers and the situation emerged due to this agitation. We will fulfil our responsibility. Both committees will work towards welfare of farmers.”

Tomar said the government came up with the proposal so that the farmers could call off their agitation.

“They are having hard times in this chilling winter and amid the Covid situation,” he said. “We want them to go home. Their representatives can discuss with us and find a solution.”

The farmers said they needed to discuss the proposal and assess the general sentiment. “Our stand is for the repeal of the laws,” farmer leader Balbir Singh Rajewal told ET. “The government came up with a fresh proposal today to suspend the laws for a year to 1.5 years and even mentioned once a period of two years, and giving an affidavit to the Supreme Court on the same.”

He said the government had wanted an answer immediately as it was the birth anniversary of the 10th Sikh Guru. “But we have asked for a day to discuss the matter at length amongst all unions tomorrow,” he said. “We will give an answer to the ministers at the next meeting on January 22.”

He also said that ministers also gave an assurance that there would be no action by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) against innocent people involved in the protests. Some of those participating in the protests have been summoned for questioning by the NIA for alleged links with the Khalistan secessionist movement.

The suspension could mean the laws being inoperative until after elections next year in Punjab, a state where the BJP is facing intense political opposition. Another senior farmer leader said the government had not got any relief from the Supreme Court on the farm laws and was under “severe pressure” a week ahead of the proposed tractor rally in Delhi on Republic Day. He argued that if the unions hold their ground, the government could even repeal the laws.

“We may not need the tractor rally on January 26 if we agree to the law suspension proposal or we can take it out on January 26 in the form of a victory march,” another senior farmer leader said on condition of anonymity.

Farmer leader Bhog Singh Mansa said the government’s argument that a majority of farmers in the country are in favour of the laws has been disproven as it is ready to suspend them.

“What happened today is a major success in a way that government has conceded that there is a major issue with the farm laws which requires a long detailed look at them,” he said. “We have to make a big call now.”