Driving a hard bargain; not to secure the farmer but his political master January 25, 2021, 10:23 AM IST
Lakshmi Iyer is a journalist worked with Mumbai Mirror, who has been covering politics for three decades in Delhi & Mumbai.
As protests by farmers ,mainly from Punjab, against three farm laws completes eight weeks this Republic Day, one stark message emerges from the spirited men encircling Delhi. Which is that the highway logjam is no ordinary protest about a few laws . It is more of a hard political bargain that is being driven in the name of farmers. The protests seem more aimed at reviving fortunes of a moribund political party than is connected to improving the lot of the ordinary farmer ; it is more intent on hobbling the Narendra Modi Government that decisively won 2019 Lok Sabha elections than perhaps finding ways to end the logjam .
NEW DELHI: Amid uncertainty over the outcome of continuing talks, agriculture minister Narendra Singh Tomar on Wednesday met one more farmer organisation that has come forward in support of the central farm laws even as unions opposed to the legislation termed his meeting an “exercise to manufacture support”.
The meeting appeared to be in tune with what Tomar has argued in every round of talks with the farmers’ unions where he emphasised on consulting farm organisations from every state before taking a decision as the laws are meant for the entire country. The next round of talks is scheduled for Friday.
लाल बहादुर शास्त्री के पोते नए कृषि कानूनों के समर्थन में, बताया ऐतिहासिक पल news18.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from news18.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
File Photo
The Supreme Court on Wednesday issued notice to the centre on a plea challenging the constitutional validity of the three contentious farm laws which is being opposed tooth and nail mainly by thousands of farmers from Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh. Meanwhile, women farmers are learning to drive tractors to take part in the proposed rally in the national capital on Republic Day.
Here are the top developments of the day:
1. The Supreme Court sought response of the centre on a PIL challenging the constitutional validity of newly enacted three farm laws on grounds including that Parliament lacked power to make legislations on the subject. The plea also raised questions over the validity of the Constitution (3rd Amendment Act) of 1954 which allegedly empowered the centre to frame the controversial laws on agriculture. A bench headed by Chief Justice SA Bobde, while issuing notice to the ministry of law and justice on the PIL of lawyer ML Sharma, said it would
Urge Farm Unions To Understand Sentiments Behind Reforms: Narendra Singh Tomar
Farmers Agitation: The next round of talks between the Centre and the protesting farm unions will be held on January 8.
PTI 06 January 2021 PTI PTI 2021-01-06T19:29:05+05:30 Urge Farm Unions To Understand Sentiments Behind Reforms: Narendra Singh Tomar outlookindia.com 2021-01-06T19:32:03+05:30
Also read
The government is committed to addressing farmers’ issues and will work in their interest, Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar said on Wednesday adding that he was hopeful that the ongoing crisis over the three new agri laws would soon be resolved.
The next round of talks between the Centre and the protesting farm unions will be held on January 8.