New Delhi / Chandigarh / Meerut
Farmers in several states protested key farm reform laws passed by Parliament this week, disrupting life in Punjab, Haryana and parts of western Uttar Pradesh, even as Prime Minister Narendra Modi accused opposition parties of spreading “lies” and misleading farmers for their own political gain in a video message, the third time he has had to defend the laws.
In the truncated session, Parliament approved the Draft Law on Trade and Trade in Agricultural Products (Promotion and Facilitation), 2020, the Farmers Agreement (Empowerment and Protection) on Price Guarantee and Agricultural Services, 2020 and the Draft Law of Essential Products (Amendment), 2020, which led to a protest by peasant organizations and opposition political parties. The main points of controversy are the absence of any mention of a minimum support price (the floor decided by the government) and the freedom granted to private actors and others to operate in areas beyond the physical limits of the Market Committees. of Agricultural Products (APMC).
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About 250 farmers’ organizations gathered under the All India Kisan Sangharsh Committee banner on Friday for a nationwide strike between 10 a.m. M. And 4 p.m. M., calling the laws “anti-farmers” and asked the government to repeal these laws or at least provide minimal support price protection (MSP) on them. The government has maintained that the MSPs will continue and that there was no reason for farmers to worry. It has already announced MSP for some winter-sown crops to reassure farmers who continue to insist that support price protection be included in the law.
Farmers blocked road traffic in various places in Punjab, Haryana and parts of Uttar Pradesh, and only allowed the movement of emergency services such as ambulances. Roadblocks in various places forced people to walk long distances to reach their destinations. The protest called by 185 farmer bodies was more or less peaceful and no major adverse incidents were reported anywhere.
According to Punjab government officials, a full bandh was observed in all 22 districts, except in the Pathankot stronghold of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), with business establishments and public transport not functioning. The railroads had already suspended some two dozen trains originating in or passing through the state in light of the three-day rail blockade observed by groups of farmers from Sept. 24-26. Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh said that he will not allow the implementation of the laws in Punjab and ordered the police not to search farmers for violating Section 144 of the CrPC imposed statewide for Covid administration.
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In Haryana, an almost complete bandh was observed in the farmer-dominated districts of the western and central parts of the state, with little impact seen in the northern parts. Traffic was blocked on the Rohtak-Chandigarh, Rohtak-Delhi, Jind-Chandigarh and Ambala-Hisar roads. Additional police force was deployed at Ambala and Panipat train stations, authorities said.
In western UP, farmers’ organizations blocked major roads, including the Yamuna Highway in the national capital region and the Agra-Lucknow Highway. Roadblocks were also reported from Ayodhya and some parts of eastern UP. Members of the Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU), Kisan Mazdoor Sangathan (KMS) and Rashtriya Kisan Sabha demonstrated in various places.
Political parties such as Congress, the Samajwadi Party, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), the Trinamool Congress, and left-wing parties supported the strike and their workers participated in the bandh.
Congressional spokesman Randeep Surjewala told reporters in Jaipur that the Modi government has launched a brutal attack on the livelihoods of 620 million people linked to agriculture as the country has been attacked by the Corona virus. and China. Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav said the laws would enslave farmers to corporations and claimed that farm income has fallen in recent years instead of rising as the prime minister promised.
Prime Minister Modi asked BJP workers to communicate with farmers on the ground and inform them about the details and benefits of the new agricultural reforms and how they will empower them.
“They (the opposition) are spreading rumors. Saving farmers from such rumors and explaining the importance of agricultural reforms is the responsibility and duty of all BJP workers because we have to make the future of farmers bright, ”Modi said at a function organized to celebrate the anniversary of the birth of party ideologue Deendayal Upadhyay. .
The prime minister said that small and marginal farmers, who make up 85% of the peasant community, will benefit the most from these reforms, as they will get better prices for their products.
BJP leaders also held press conferences in various state capitals saying that farmers were being misled by the Opposition. “The Rabi crop has yet to be harvested and they say farmers will not get the minimum price support,” said BJP national spokesperson Sambit Patra in Kolkata. “This type of smear campaign will not work. The BJP government is committed to protecting the interests of farmers. ”
Outside of the North Indian food plate, protests were also reported in West Bengal and Bihar. The ruling Trinamool Congress and the left-wing party led the protests in West Bengal. Traffic was blocked in Hooghly, North 24 Parganas, Nadia, South 24 Parganas, Burdwan, East Midnapore and other districts where agriculture is the main source of income for the rural population. In Bihar, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav led a protest in Patna. Roads were blocked in Ara, Purnia, Samastipur, Bhagalpur, Begusarai and Hajipur districts, authorities said.
However, there was not much impact from the bandh in states like Maharashtra, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, from where only sporadic protests were reported. The bodies of the farmers burned copies of the laws in various places and in Karnataka, the entrance of traffic to Bangalore was blocked.
(With inputs from agencies)
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