Farm laws: No question of political fallout due to ongoing protests, says Shivraj Singh Chouhan
The Madhya Pradesh chief minister asserted that farmers across the country have welcomed the legislations.
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Thursday said that there was no question of a political fallout because of the ongoing farmers’ protest, reported the Hindustan Times.
“The government has reiterated the MSP [minimum support price] will not be scrapped under any circumstance,” Chouhan said at the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit 2020. “And I reiterate that crores of farmers are supporting the farm laws. There is no question of political fallout because of the farmer’s protest.”
The chief minister asserted that dialogue was necessary and is the only way to resolve a dispute. “Dialogue is a process in democracy,” he said. “There is no place for violence. Farmers should not stop talks. Stubbornness will not help, dialogue will.”
He further said that majority of farmers support the government even as massive farm law protests rages at Delhi’s borders. Chouhan added that the Delhi farmers could have their apprehension but cultivators across the country have welcomed the agriculture laws.
Farmers’ unions had on Wednesday rejected a written proposal sent by the Centre, detailing the amendments it was willing to make to the three agriculture laws. They said they would intensify their agitation against the legislations with a countrywide protest on December 14. Members of the Krantikari Kisan Union also said that they will block the Delhi-Jaipur highway on Saturday.
Farmer leader Shiv Kumar Kakka said that they will block all roads leading to Delhi one by one if the three farm laws are not scrapped. He said all the highways to Delhi will be blocked on December 14 as part of the protest.
Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar, however, said the Centre was ready to address the farmers’ concerns about the new agricultural laws. He reiterated that the minimum support price will not be affected.
The leaders of farmers’ unions had met Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday evening. The meeting failed to yield any breakthrough and so the sixth round of negotiations between the farmers and central government, scheduled for Wednesday, was cancelled.
Farmers, mostly from Punjab and Haryana, have been protesting against the laws for nearly two months. The situation escalated two weeks ago, when thousands marched to the Capital, where they clashed with police who used tear gas, water cannons and batons to stop them. Tens of thousands of farmers have camped out at the entrance to Delhi for the sixteenth consecutive day to reverse the agricultural legislations.
The Centre, which claims the laws would revitalise India’s agrarian economy by boosting produce, has made several attempts to placate the farmers. But five rounds of talks have failed to break the impasse so far.