Don't let "ego" come in way of breaking farm laws impasse: Uma

Senior BJP leader Uma Bharti onFriday said the Centre and protesting farmers should ensurethat stubbornness and ego do not come in the way ofresolving differences over the new agri-marketing laws.

The former Union minister said it is after a gap ofmore than 30 years that farmers have gathered near Delhi topush for their demands.

It is an opportunity for both the government andfarmers. Stubbornness and ego from both sides should not comein the way (of finding a solution to impasse over new laws),she told reporters at her bungalow here.

Her comments came after scribes sought her views onthe nearly two-month-long protest by farmers on Delhi borders.

Multiple rounds of talks have failed to break the deadlock onthe three new agri laws enacted by the Centre in September.

The former Madhya Pradesh chief minister said farmerscame together under the leadership of farm leaders MahendraSingh Tikait and Sharad Joshi around 30 years ago.

In 1988, Tikait had mobilised a large number offarmers of Uttar Pradesh and reached Delhi to seek redressalof their grievances related to agrarian distress and price oftheir produce, among others.

But differences between them (farmers) surfaced aftersome time then, said Bharti.

Gujarat has always been a state of farmers. Farmingwas the foundation of Gujarats economy, industries came later(there), said.

Thus, a big opportunity has come in the way of (PrimeMinister Narendra) Modi as well as farmers (to resolvedifferences over the new laws), the BJP leader said.

Farmers are demanding a repeal of the three farm lawswhich seek to encourage private trade, contract farming andremove stock limit on foodgrains.

However, the protesting farmers have expressedapprehension that the new laws would pave the way foreliminating the safety cushion of Minimum Support Price and doaway with the mandis, leaving them at the mercy of bigcorporates.