India’s govt proposal regarding suspension of farm laws for 18 months still stands

NEW DELHI, Jan 30, 2021, Mint. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said that the central government’s proposal to farmers of suspending the three new farm laws for a period of 18 months is still up for discussion, Mint reported.

“I want to reiterate what Narendra Singh Tomar told farmers. He said we have not reached to consensus but we are giving you (farmers) the offer and you may go and deliberate. He told farmers that he was just a phone call away,” said PM Modi at an all-party meeting, reported news agency ANI.

“Government’s proposal still stands. Please convey this to your supporters. The resolution should be found through dialogue. We all have to think about the nation,” he added.

The PM said that the government has been continuously trying to resolve issues of protesting farmers through talks.

PM Modi is chairing the all-party meet to put forth the government’s legislative agenda for the Budget session of parliament.

In the meeting, Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad, TMC’s Sudip Bandyopadhyay, Shiv Sena MP Vinayak Raut, and SAD’s Balwinder Singh Bhunder also spoke at length on farmers agitation. JDU MP RCP Singh came out in support of the new reforms.

The meeting comes on the day the Samyukta Kisan Morcha is observing “Sadbhavana Diwas” on Mahatma Gandhi’s death anniversary and holding a day-long fast.

“A fast will be observed from 9 am to 5 pm at Borders and protest sites across India, on the martyrdom day of Mahatma Gandhi Ji and the day will be marked as ‘Sadbhavana Diwas’,” according to a statement issued by the Samyukta Kisan Morcha.

Thousands of farmers have been protesting at Delhi’s borders since 26 November last year, demanding a rollback of the Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020 and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020.