‘Govt should repeal agri laws and enact new ones with consent of farmers’
CHANDIGARH: Three days after unsavoury scenes during the farmers’ Republic Day tractor march, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal on Friday gave a call for maintaining peace. He urged the Modi government to revoke the contentious farm laws, hold discussions with all the stakeholders to build a consensus on agricultural reforms. Excerpts of an interview:
After what happened in Delhi on January 26, what do you think is the way forward for farmers’ agitation?
In my opinion, peace should be maintained at all costs. I think, the Centre rather than resolving the issue is creating problems and instigating the farmers for violence.
Can there be a solution anything less than repeal of farm laws as being demanded by the farmer bodies?
For whom are these (farm) laws? It is not happening for the first time that a demand is being raised to withdraw a law. In the past, hundreds of laws were repealed and even the Constitution has been amended a several times. It is such a strong movement but, sadly, the government is adamant. A government is for the betterment of the people, and, the issue here concerns farmers who exceeds
What role you see for yourself as president of Shiromani Akali Dal, said to be ‘the party of the peasants’?
I have no role as such at this stage of the protest when farmers are at the centrestage and have taken the agitation to its peak. As president of SAD, I appeal to people of all sections of society to get united for the sake of farmers especially when efforts are being made to divide on communal lines.
Your party is in touch with non-bjp and non-congress parties.
Sixteen parties boycotted Friday’s address by the President of India on the opening day of the Budget Session which shows the Bjp-led government’s popularity among the political parties. We are in touch with the parties and very shortly, we will hold a meeting and come out with an action plan.
How according to you the ongoing standoff between farmers and government can be resolved?
It’s very easy. All three farm laws could be repealed in the current Budget Session and for next 18 months, the Centre can hold talks with the stakeholders to reach a consensus on new laws. What’s the problem in holding discussions with the people? We are a democracy, or the government should say it’s dictatorship. The government has already offered to keep laws on hold for 18 months.
How does your party see farmers’ agitation?
It is one of the finest agitations in the history of independent India. No one else other than the SAD understands aspirations of the farmers whose 95% cadre does agriculture. Knowing the nature of the new laws and farmers’ sentiment, we dumped 40-year-long association with the BJP.
What’s your advice to the protesting farmers?
They must maintain peace and communal harmony at all costs. The government on its part should also not blame a section for every agitation, as they have labeled the protesters as Khalistanis. Farmers are the biggest nationalists and nation’s backbone. If farmers prosper, India prospers, too.