Anurag Thakur Cites Return Of Indian Navy Veterans To Advocate Power Of Dialogue Amid Farmers' Protest
As the “Delhi Chalo” march entered its second day today, Union Minister Anurag Thakur has appealed to the protesting farmers to engage in constructive dialogue with the government, highlighting the successful resolution achieved through dialogue in various past instances. Thakur was referring to the recent return of eight Indian Navy veterans from Qatar, emphasising the power of communication in resolving complex issues.
“When Indian Navy veterans can be saved from the death penalty and brought back safely from Qatar, if 27,000 Indians can be rescued during the Ukraine war under Operation Ganga, if crores of Indians can be brought back during Covid… all of this has been achieved through dialogue. My request to our farmer brothers is to come and continue our dialogue,” Thakur said.
Thakur highlighted the government”s willingness to address the concerns of the farmers, saying that extensive efforts have been made to address their grievances. Despite the challenges posed by evolving demands, he stressed the importance of continued discussions to find common ground.
“Our Union ministers sat till late last night to hear the farmers” concerns but their representatives walked away. Even then we said discussions should continue. The discussions are taking longer because new demands are being put forward – they don”t want us to be part of the World Trade Organisation, they want us to scrap free trade agreements,” the minister, who holds the Information and Broadcasting and Sports portfolios, added.
Some of the other new demands, he said, were that stubble burning should not be seen through the prism of pollution and that farmers should be kept out of the purview of the Electricity (Amendment) bill.
“We told them we will form a committee or we can also discuss with the agriculture minister. We will also have to hold discussions with states and other stakeholders. This is why I am telling them to continue the dialogue. When we have met most of your (farmers”) demands, a solution can be found on the rest through discussions,” he said.
Addressing the recent incidents of violence during the protests, Thakur urged restraint, saying that such actions not only harm the nation but also inconvenience ordinary citizens.
When asked about why barbed wires were put up and nails were laid on some of the state borders, the minister said law enforcement is a state subject.
Regarding the demands for MSP and other agricultural policies, Thakur criticised the Congress party for its alleged historical neglect of farmers” interests and questioned its commitment to addressing these issues. He reiterated the government”s efforts to enhance agricultural support and assured continued focus on farmers” welfare.
He also claimed that the NDA government has bought more crops than the previous UPA government and the share of agriculture in the Budget has also gone up. Thakur alleged that the Congress has never cared about farmers. Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday promised a legal guarantee on Minimum Support Price (MSP) if it is voted back to power.
“Rahul Gandhi ji, you are giving guarantees today. The Congress was in power for 60 years. The UPA government was in office between 2004 and 2014. You didn”t even implement the recommendation of the Swaminathan Commission… Neither will Rahul Gandhi come to power, nor will he do anything for farmers,” the minister said.
