NEW DELHI: Congress launched its national campaign against farm bills approved by Parliament earlier this week and referred to as “anti-farmer, unconstitutional and in violation of the federal structure.”
Even as state units and Indian Youth Congress initiated street protests against the bills, Congress spokesman Abhishek Singhvi alleged that Modi government and the prime minister himself was “misleading” people about the provisions of the bills, which he said would leave Indian farmers at the mercy of corporate actors.
“In India, the average size of farms is 2 acres and they represent more than 80% of the total farmers in the country. It is ridiculous for the government to claim that farmers with such limited means will be able to negotiate and negotiate with corporate actors on an equal footing, ”said Singhvi.
Citing the example of Bihar, which abolished the Agricultural Products Marketing Committee Law in 2006, Singhvi said that the result was significantly less government procurement of agricultural products and also the liquidation of mandis. Referring to the new agricultural laws as a “new zamindari system”, he added that the situation in Bihar would now be replicated in the rest of India.
Delhi Congress Chief Anil Chaudhury echoed Singhvi’s sentiment, saying that the state unit would actively participate in the convocation of Bharat bandh on Friday. It also announced a series of street and online protests by DPCC beginning Friday, including a ‘Speak Up For Farmers’ campaign on social media, culminating in an eight-day signature campaign and a Kisan sammelan October 10th.
.
