Union Agriculture Minister Tomar hints at revisiting farm laws in future

The Centre may have scrapped the three contentious farm laws, but it has kept the window open for revisiting them in future. This was evident from Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar’s statement in Nagpur on Saturday (December 25) when he said “the government took a step back, but will move forward again”.

The three farm laws were withdrawn by the Modi government in November after a year-long agitation by farmers, who braved heat, rains and the winter chill to stand up against, what they called, “black laws”.

Speaking at the inauguration of ‘Agro Vision’, a three-day agriculture exhibition in Nagpur, Tomar said a section of the society did not understand its benefits, which resulted in scrapping of the laws in parliament without discussion. “We brought the laws, under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, with a vision. However, it was not appreciated by some who, even after 70 years of Independence, do not want big reforms in agriculture,” Tomar said, adding “The government, however, has not given up. We moved a step back and we will move forward again in the best interest of farmers, who are the backbone of the country.”

Also read: Farm laws repeal: Modi at his nimble best with polls round the corner

Last month, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in a surprising move, announced the repeal of the laws, admitting that his government failed to convince a section of farmers about its benefits. “I apologise to the people of the country with true and pure heart… we were not able to convince farmers. There must have been some deficiency in our efforts that we could not convince some farmers,” he said in what is seen as his first-ever apology in a public forum.

Modi’s critics saw it as a political adjustment made ahead of the crucial state assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh and Punjab next year. Even then Tomar had blamed a group of farmers for standing in the way of improvement of farmers.

On their part, the farmers left no stone unturned in pressurising the government to withdraw the legislations. Thousands of farmers from Punjab, UP, Haryana and Rajasthan camped on Delhi borders since November last year. The BJP suffered, firstly by way of losing its ally in Punjab, the Shiromani Akali Dal, and then inviting the ire of farmers who boycotted their leaders during visits to villages in Punjab and Haryana.

In Lakhimpur Kheri, four farmers were run over by a convoy, allegedly led by Union Minister Ajay Mishra’s son. This only aggravated the crisis and put the party’s reputation at stake in UP, which will go to polls soon.