‘Took a step back, will move forward again’: Agriculture minister Narendra Tomar on farm laws

Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar said that the government could re-introduce the three contentious farm laws that were repealed last month after nationwide protests by lakhs of farmers.

Speaking at an event in Maharashtra, the Union minister said that the government took a step back by withdrawing the three laws but it could also move forward again, hinting at the re-introduction of the reforms.

“We brought the agriculture amendment laws. But some people did not like these laws, which, after 70 years after Independence, were a big reform under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership,” Tomar said at the inauguration of Agro Vision Expo in Nagpur.

“But the government is not disappointed… we moved a step back and we will move forward again because farmers are the backbone of India and if the backbone is strong, the country will also be strong,” he said.

Last month, Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a televised address to the nation announced that the government will withdraw the three farm laws, saying they could not convince protesting farmers about the benefits of the agriculture sector reforms.

The government’s sudden move raised questions from the opposition parties which claimed that the decision was taken in view of the upcoming Assembly elections in Punjab and Uttar Pradesh, which have a huge base of farmers.

Days after the Centre’s decision, thousands of farmers from Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh who were protesting at three border points in Delhi since November last year, called off their year-long protest.