In reply to the Agriculture Minister, the farmers’ leaders said that the three laws were totally black. When it came to amending the laws, the farmers pointed to a single item and said that about 33 items were wrong and at the same time said that if so many amendments were to be made then why not repeal the laws. New laws should be framed with the consent of the farmers’ organizations. In Parliament, Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Manoj Kumar Jha said the BJP ministers believed in one-sided ideology and that was why the farmers were not being listened to. Former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda termed the farmers as the backbone of the country and said that the farmers were not responsible for the violence and should not be punished. States should be consulted for enactment of agricultural laws. Leaders of other opposition parties have called for barbed wire to be erected on Delhi’s borders. Raised issues of bullying farmers by shutting off water, electricity and internet. Other opposition parties, including the Congress, the Rashtriya Janata Dal, the Trinamool Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party, have demanded the repeal of the three agriculture laws.
The history of the country’s parliament has been glorious and there have been future debates in both the houses. During these debates, the Union Ministers have been trying to provide accurate information and the suggestions of the Opposition have been taken in a positive light. The statement of the Agriculture Minister that there is nothing wrong with the laws and the agitation belongs to one state only is not based on facts. The fact is that the agitation is more prevalent in Uttar Pradesh and Haryana than in Punjab. The ongoing Maha Panchayats and Khap Panchayats in these states, in which thousands of people join, bear witness to the broad base of the movement. Apart from these states, Uttarakhand, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Orissa, Bihar, Large gatherings of farmers have also taken place in Chhattisgarh and other states. These rallies have supported the protesting farmers on the borders of Delhi. Farmers in most of the states cannot reach Delhi due to remoteness and lack of resources but they are involved in the Tano Mano Andolan. There are major contradictions in the Union Agriculture Minister’s statement. The biggest paradox at first is why the government is agreeing to amend the laws if there are no errors. It is clear from the establishment of new private mandis outside the first mandis that the government is running away from procuring major crops like paddy and wheat at MSP. If it is not running away then why it is not ready to give a legal guarantee to procure crops at MSP. The law on agricultural markets clearly shows that these laws are aimed at abolishing the government agricultural markets in the states. Similarly the law on corporate farming Are associated with the movement. There are major contradictions in the Union Agriculture Minister’s statement. The biggest paradox at first is why the government is agreeing to amend the laws if there are no errors. It is clear from the establishment of new private mandis outside the first mandis that the government is running away from procuring major crops like paddy and wheat at MSP. If it is not running away then why it is not ready to give a legal guarantee to procure crops at MSP. The law on agricultural markets clearly shows that these laws are aimed at abolishing the government agricultural markets in the states. Similarly the law on corporate farming Are associated with the movement. There are major contradictions in the Union Agriculture Minister’s statement. The biggest paradox at first is why the government is agreeing to amend the laws if there are no errors. It is clear from the establishment of new private mandis outside the first mandis that the government is running away from procuring major crops like paddy and wheat at MSP. If it is not running away then why it is not ready to give a legal guarantee to procure crops at MSP. The law on agricultural markets clearly shows that these laws are aimed at abolishing the state-owned agricultural markets. Similarly the law on corporate farming It is clear from the establishment of mandis that the government is running away from procuring major crops like paddy and wheat at MSP. If it is not running away then why it is not ready to give a legal guarantee to procure crops at MSP. The law on agricultural markets clearly shows that these laws are aimed at abolishing the government agricultural markets in the states. Similarly the law on corporate farming It is clear from the establishment of mandis that the government is running away from procuring major crops like paddy and wheat at MSP. If it is not running away then why it is not ready to give a legal guarantee to procure crops at MSP. The law on agricultural markets clearly shows that these laws are aimed at abolishing the state-owned agricultural markets. Similarly the law on corporate farming
Only by reading Section 4 of the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act 2020, it is clear that this law is in favor of the buyer i.e. the corporate entity as the overall terms of the buyer and farmer contract. The buyer will decide. The Agriculture Minister, who represents the government side in interacting with the farmers, was not expected to make such a blunt statement. His statement has sealed the side of the farmers in which he had said that there was a flaw in the intention and policy of the government. The government is not serious about resolving the issue. This approach of the government is completely undemocratic and irresponsible. The Prime Minister speaks of ‘development for all with all’, but one of the biggest parties in the country is the farmers with whom every section of society is connected. The Prime Minister himself is running away from his word by refusing to support the BJP. The Union Government should abandon the maneuvers of the peasant movement and start talks to withdraw the three agricultural laws after listening to the voices of farmers’ organizations, the Opposition and other sections. It is not possible to get rid of the government without accepting the demands of this movement.
