Don't be adamant, return home: MoS Agriculture to farmers

The farmers have decided to continue their protest till there is a legal guarantee for MSP

With farmers deciding to continue their protest till there is a legal guarantee for MSP, Minister of State for Agriculture Kailash Choudhary on Friday urged them to return home and not be adamant as the Centre has met their demand of repealing three farm laws.

Speaking to PTI, Choudhary said the three central farm laws were brought in the interest of the farmers after a demand for such legislations since a long time. Even the previous governments had tried to bring these laws, he noted.

However, a section of the farming community did not try to understand these laws despite several rounds of discussions between the government and key representatives of the farmers' unions, he said.

"Even after the discussion, they did not try to understand these laws. I feel that we could not be successful in convincing some farmers. Therefore, the PM with a big heart took a historic decision to repeal the three farm laws," Choudhary said.

The decision to repeal the legislations was taken after discussions, he said, and added that had the laws been implemented, farmers would not have to wait for long to reap the benefits.

On farmers' unions decision not to call off their protest till the minimum support price (MSP) is guaranteed, the minister said, "Can there be any big decision than this which the PM took keeping the interest of a small section of farmers? Their demand was to repeal and this demand is fulfilled now."

He further said the farm union leaders should not be adamant. "Ab ghar wapasi hona chahiye (they should return to their homes). They should focus on their farming activities."

In a major move, Prime Minister Narendra Modi in an address to the nation on Friday announced repeal of the contentious three central farm laws and formation of a committee on MSP and promotion of zero-budget farming.

Earlier during the day, the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) -- an umbrella body of 40 farm unions -- said, "The agitation of farmers is not just against the repeal of the three black laws, but also for a statutory guarantee to remunerative prices for all agricultural produce and for all farmers. This important demand of farmers is still pending."

The SKM added that the demand of the withdrawal of the Electricity Amendment Bill is still pending.

Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Rakesh Tikait said the ongoing anti-farm laws protest will be withdrawn only after the three legislations are repealed in Parliament and legal guarantee on MSP for crops made.