Give States option on implementing farm laws: Subramanian Swamy

In letter to PM, he suggests a comprise solution to end stalement between farmers and govt.

Subramanian Swamy. File.

The three contentious agricultural reform laws should only be implemented in the States which wish to do so, Rajya Sabha member Subramanian Swamy said in a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday. He also made suggestions to resolve the current impasse between the farmers and the government.

Noting that the protest by farmers demanding a repeal of the three laws had now crossed 70 days, Mr. Swamy suggested a compromise solution. “Those who want this Act to be implemented should not [be] denied its benefits because a few States, principally Punjab, do not want its implementation whether for good reasons or bad,” Mr. Swamy said, adding that he himself was in favour of the reforms, and had voted for the enactment of the laws in Parliament last year.

He suggested that rules should be framed for the Acts, and that three specific rules should be included.

The first rule “should restrict the implementation of the Act to those States which in writing inform its willingness to implement the Act and thus those who do not inform its willingness to implement may be given the freedom not to benefit from the salutary aspects of these Agricultural Reforms Acts”, the letter said.

“The second rule should state that every state would be eligible for a Minimum Support Price (MSP) in perpetuity. The third rule should limit the buying of the foodgrains by only those who have no other major business or commercial interests other than in agricultural trade.”

These measures, Mr. Swamy said, would take care of the concerns of the protesting farm unions. He added that their agitation should end once these rules are added to the Acts.

He also noted that the protests had been “largely and mostly peaceful” with a clear cut single demand of scrapping the laws.

“No doubt there are elements in the agitation who are troublemakers and anti-national elements. When masses assemble anywhere and have to sit peacefully in dharna for so many months such things happen and of course have to be dealt with strictly,” he added.