News Analysis India

Tag: Farm Laws

  • Cabinet approves bill to repeal three farm laws; bill to be tabled in Parliament in winter session

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved a bill to repeal the three farm laws, which triggered protests at Delhi borders by thousands of farmers, and will be tabled in Parliament during the upcoming winter session for passage.

    On November 19, Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his address to the nation had announced the withdrawal of the three farm laws, saying the government could not convince protesting farmers about the benefits of the agriculture sector reforms.

    He had also urged them to end the protest and return home.

    The Cabinet has approved the Farm Laws Repeal Bill, 2021 to rollback the three laws passed by Parliament in September last year, with an objective to bring reforms in the agriculture sector, especially marketing of farm produce.

    The three laws to be repealed are: Farmer’s Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act; The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Act; and The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act.

    The Cabinet has completed the formalities to repeal the three farm laws, I&B Minister Anurag Thakur told reporters.

    “In the upcoming session of Parliament, it will be our priority to take back these three laws,” he said.

    The winter session will begin on November 29, and conclude on December 23.

    The Farm Laws Repeal Bill, 2021 has been approved days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s announcement to repeal the three central farm laws.

    Besides this, Parliament is scheduled to take 25 other bills, including one on crypto currencies.

    The repeal of the three farm legislations has been one of the key demands of around 40 farmer unions protesting against these reforms for nearly a year now.

    These laws, which are under suspension following a Supreme Court order in January this year, had triggered widespread protests by thousands of farmers mainly from Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh at Delhi borders.

    The protest started at the fag-end of November 2020, and is still continuing.

    On November 21, the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) — joint body of farmer unions leading the current protests — had written to the Prime Minister to immediately resume talks on the farmers’ six demands including legal guarantee for the procurement of crops at minimum support price (MSP).

    The other demands were sacking and arrest of Union Minister of State for Home Ajay Mishra in connection with the Lakhimpur Kheri incident, withdrawal of cases against farmers and building of a memorial for those who lost their lives during the agitation.

    They also sought removal of penal provisions on farmers in the “Commission for Air Quality Management in the National Capital Region and Adjoining Areas Act 2021” and withdrawal of the draft “Electricity Amendments Bill, 2020/2021” proposed by the government.

    SKM had said it would continue their planned protests, including the march to Parliament on November 29, to observe one year of anti-farm law protests.

  • ‘Release report on farm laws’: SC-appointed panel member Anil Ghanwat to CJI

    By Express News Service

    MUMBAI:  Days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi promised to repeal the contentious agricultural laws, Anil Ghanwat, one of the members of the Supreme Court-appointed panel to study the farm legislations, wrote to Chief Justice of India N V Ramana on Tuesday urging him to release the report in the public domain at the earliest or authorise the committee to do so.

    Ghanwat, a senior leader of the Shetkari Sangathan, also said at a media briefing that he would mobilise one lakh farmers to Delhi in the next few months to push for agriculture reforms which he asserted were “badly required”. He also said that the protesting farmers’ demand to make MSP a legal guarantee and ensure procurement of all agricultural crops at MSP was not feasible.

    The three-member panel had submitted its report to the Supreme Court on March 19. But it has not been made public despite Ghanwat having requested the CJI on September 1 to release it saying the “recommendations will pave the way to resolve the ongoing farmers’ agitation”.

    In his letter to the CJI, Ghanwat said that though the panel’s report is “no longer relevant” following the government’s decision to repeal the farm laws, the recommendations are of great public interest. It is important to ensure that the ‘reform impulse’ that was reflected in the farm laws is not ‘diluted’, he asserted. He wrote that the report “can also play an educational role and ease the misapprehensions of many farmers who have, in my opinion, been misguided by some leaders.”

    Ghanwat requested the CJI to consider directing Centre to develop an exemplary and robust policy process that is followed in developed nations. He suggested setting up a committee to prepare a white paper for making new farm laws.

    On the protesting farmers’ demand to make MSP a legal guarantee, Ghanwat said, “Even if the government procures all crops, how will they be stored and disposed of?” The solution was to liberate the agriculture sector and give marketing freedom to farmers, he added. 

  • SKM to observe ‘Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Diwas’ on Wednesday

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) on Tuesday said they will observe Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Diwas on Wednesday to mark peasant leader Sir Chhotu Ram’s birth anniversary.

    The umbrella body of farmers’ unions protesting the three Central farm laws, in a statement, also said several of its leaders will join a ‘Maha Dharna’ in Hyderabad on November 25 to mark the first anniversary of the farmers’ protests at Delhi’s borders.

    It said the Indian diaspora will organize events in the UK, the US, France, Austria, Australia, Canada, and the Netherlands on Friday in support of the farmers’ protests.

    Sir Chhotu Ram, born on November 24, 1881, was regarded as a messiah of peasants and was instrumental in empowering farmers in the pre-Independence era and getting pro-farmers law enacted.

    He had fought for farmers’ rights during British rule.

    Despite Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s surprise announcement of repealing the three agri laws, farmer leaders have maintained they won’t budge until the laws are formally repealed in Parliament.

    They have also indicated the stir for a statutory guarantee of MSP and withdrawal of the Electricity Amendment Bill will continue.

    The SKM on Monday wrote an open letter to the prime minister presenting their six demands, including a law guaranteeing minimum support price (MSP) for all farmers, and sought immediate resumption of talks with the government over these.

  • SC-appointed panel member writes to CJI urging early release of report on farm laws

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Anil Ghanwat, one of the members of the Supreme Court-appointed panel on farm laws, on Tuesday wrote to Chief Justice of India (CJI), urging him to consider releasing the report on the three agri laws in the public domain at the earliest or authorise the committee to do so.

    Ghanwat, also a senior leader of Shetkari Sangathan, separately in a media briefing said he will mobilise one lakh farmers to Delhi in the next couple of months demanding “badly” required agri reforms even after the repeal of the three farm laws.

    He also said the protesting farmers’ demand to make minimum support price (MSP) a legal guarantee and ensure procurement of all agri-crops at MSP is “not feasible and implementable.”

    In the letter dated November 23 written to CJI N V Ramana, Ghanwat said after the government’s decision to repeal the three farm laws in the coming Winter Session of Parliament, the panel’s report is “no longer relevant” but the recommendations are of great public interest.

    It is important to ensure that while the specific laws may no longer exist, the “reform impulse” that was reflected in the three farm laws is not “diluted,” he said.

    “The report can also play an educational role and ease the misapprehensions of many farmers who have, in my opinion, been misguided by some leaders,” he added.

    The three-member panel had submitted the report to the apex court on March 19.

    Since then, the report has not been made public despite Ghanwat having requested the CJI in a letter dated September 1 to release the panel’s report in the public domain saying its “recommendations will pave the way to resolve the ongoing farmers’ agitation.”

    Ghanwat further said in the latest letter that the three farm laws were accepted “in-principle” by protesting farmers but were not accepted entirely because the government’s policy process was not “consultative.”

    He requested the CJI to consider directing the Centre to develop and implement an exemplary and robust policy process that is followed in developed nations.

    “That will ensure a fiasco of this sort is not repeated and the valuable time of the court not wasted in the government’s fruitless, unproductive endeavours which also end up causing angst and frustration in the community,” he said.

    For instance, with the repeal of the laws, a large number of farmers are now even further frustrated with India’s lack of attention to their needs, he added in the letter.

    Ghantwat suggested setting up a committee to prepare a white paper for making new farm laws.

    Briefing media on this issue, Ghanwat said the current situation would not have arisen had the apex court released the report in the public domain within a few days after its submission.

    “It’s been over eight months since the report has been submitted. Now the laws are going to be repealed, at least the report should be made available to the public so that people know the recommendations,” he added.

    Ghanwat stressed that the reforms in the agriculture sector are “badly” required and this should not stop with the repeal of the three laws.

    “We want reforms. I am going to travel across the country and make farmers understand the benefits of agri-reforms and bring one lakh farmers to Delhi in the next couple of months demanding farm reforms,” he said.

    On protesting farmers’ demand to make MSP a legal guarantee, Ghanwat said he was not against the MSP system but it should be implemented in a limited way.

    “Where will the government get funds for procurement of all agri-crops? Even if it procures all crops, how will those crops be stored and disposed of,” he asked.

    If there is demand to procure all non-perishable products, then farmers producing perishable crops will also demand procurement of crops like potato, tomato and onions, he said.

    “This is not feasible and implementable. All the government’s revenue cannot be spent on MSP. If done, then the government will not have funds for development of other sectors,” he added.

    The solution to this problem is to liberate the agriculture sector and give marketing freedom to farmers, he added.

    “We cannot go along with the existing policy of the government. There should be reforms. Those reforms were suggested in the report.”

    This report should be considered by a new committee to be established as announced by the Prime Minister to study the MSP and other issues, he added.

  • Farmers’ distrust of govt will not go away with one rollback, says Congress leader Sachin Pilot

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: The BJP’s bypoll losses and a “looming bad performance” in the upcoming assembly polls led to the announcement of repealing the farm laws, Congress leader Sachin Pilot said on Tuesday, asserting that there will be “consequences” for the ruling party in the elections as farmers’ “distrust” of the government will not go away with one rollback.

    The former Rajasthan deputy chief minister said the government should not only ensure a legal guarantee for the Minimum Support Price (MSP) as demanded by farmers but must also provide a regulation or a law ensuring that procurement takes place.

    In an interview with PTI, Pilot said no matter what the government does now, it is “far too late” to erase from the farmers’ minds the suffering caused during the farm laws agitation.

    “In Indian history, such a long agitation by the farming community which lasted for a year, has not been seen. If they had to rollback (the laws) then what was the need to waste lives and livelihoods, so much damage was caused, farmers were called naxalites, separatists, even terrorists and some of the ministers’ kin even mowing down people,” the former Union minister said.

    If that much animosity was there then what prompted the government to withdraw the laws, Pilot asked rhetorically and added that, “obviously there were political considerations”.

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday announced his government’s decision to repeal the three farm laws over which the farmers have been protesting over the past year on Delhi’s borders, urging them to return to their homes.

    ALSO READ: Loyalists gain but Sachin Pilot’s role in Rajasthan still unclear

    Pilot alleged that there was no discussion held with the farmers’ unions before announcing the laws, which were imposed upon with “brute majority” in Parliament and then “shoved down the throat of farmers”.

    They have been withdrawn now but more needs to be done as there has been a “kind of breakdown of trust” between the government and the farmers which is “damaging” for future dispensations also, the Congress leader said.

    “They (farmers) will always view the government with suspicion. We owe our farmers who feed this country a lot more,” he asserted.

    Asked about the farmers’ demand for a law guaranteeing MSP, Pilot said the mere announcement of MSP even if it is made into law will not be adequate as there is also a need to make some regulation or laws for procurement.

    “What happens today is that you announce the MSP but there is no guarantee of procurement. If you want to really benefit the farmers then you have to ensure adequate and appropriate procurement, that is the key,” he said.

    If the farmers are demanding a law and regulation for MSP, it is a genuine demand and the government should act to fulfil it, he said.

    “I am going a step further. I am saying the announcement and guarantee of MSP is important but the government should also ensure procurement happens. A legal guarantee for MSP is only effective if there is a proportionate regulation and law for procurement also,” Pilot said.

    The government must invite the farmers to discuss their issues and not just look at the election cycle for rollbacks as it must think about their genuine good, he said.

    Pilot also called for accountability for the “losses” people suffered both physically and monetarily during the farm laws protests.

    The “distrust” created in the farming community’s mind will not go away with one rollback, he asserted.

    “Obviously the bypoll losses and the looming bad performance of the BJP in the upcoming polls in five states was certainly the consideration that led the government to withdraw the farm laws,” Pilot said.

    Asked if the step would benefit the BJP in the polls, he said, “I think the minister of state for home (Ajay Mishra) has not resigned, cases slapped on farmers still exist, people who lost dear ones, how can they forget the year that has gone by. There will be consequences.”

    However, he added, “I don’t think we should politicise the farmers’ movement but ultimately people of India know that these laws were imposed not to help farmers but other interest groups.”

    Digging in their heels, farmer unions on Sunday had said they will continue their agitation till the government starts talks with them on their six demands, including a law guaranteeing MSP and the arrest of Union Minister Ajay Mishra, even as the Centre prepared to bring bills in Parliament to repeal its three agri laws.

    Mishra’s son was arrested in the case of the death of four protesting farmers in an incident in Lakhimpur Kheri in Uttar Pradesh in October.

  • BJP in damage control mode over farm laws

    Express News Service

    NEW DELHI:  With the government set to bring repeal the contentious farm laws, the BJP is bracing to control the damage amid apprehension that the Opposition would further mount pressure for poll dividends. 

    While the government isn’t likely to engage with the farmers’ unions on additional demands, the BJP-ruled states will carry forward the agrarian reform on the lines of the land acquisition policies adopted after an ordinance was allowed to be lapsed by the Centre in 2015.

    “The decision to repeal must have been taken at the level of PM and a few senior ministers even as there was unanimity of views within the party of the likely damage in the upcoming elections,” said a BJP functionary. 

    It has also been learnt that the government will now adopt hands off approach with the farmer leaders, with the BJP admitting that it was a mistake to have engaged with them thereby giving legitimacy by holding several rounds of negotiations despite knowing that they just had a one-point agenda to nullify the farm laws.

  • Farm laws repeal due to BJP workers’ failure to enlighten farmers: Uma Bharti

    By Express News Service

    BHOPAL: Pained by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s November 19 announcement to repeal three farm laws, senior BJP leader and ex-union minister Uma Bharti has blamed the saffron party’s workers for failing to enlighten the farmers on the farm laws.

    In PM’s parliamentary constituency Varanasi for the last four days, the ex-Madhya Pradesh CM tweeted on Monday, “the PM’s November 19 announcement left me speechless, which is why I’m commenting about it after three days.”

    “People like me are pained by what the PM said while announcing the repeal of the three farm laws. If the PM didn’t succeed in educating farmers about the importance of the three farm laws, it’s because of the weakness of all BJP workers. Why did we (BJP workers) fail in connecting and communicating with the farmers on these laws,” Bharti tweeted further.

    “I was particularly pained by the PM’s announcement, as I deeply felt that we (BJP rank and file) failed to face and counter the opposition’s false propaganda on the issue,” Bharti added.

    Among the frontal leaders of the Ayodhya Ram Temple movement, Bharti, however, showered praise on the PM’s leadership, tweeting, “by announcing repeal of the farm laws, the PM has established his greatness. I pray to Lord Kashi Vishwanath that such an exceptional and visionary leader lives long and succeeds in all endeavours.”

    Meanwhile, Bharti’s tweets have given ammo to opposition Congress leaders to attack the ruling BJP.

    “Uma Bharti’s tweets have exposed the real state of the BJP organization. Despite boasting of being training based workers, the BJP workers failed to convince the farmers on the three farm laws. Now the farmers will teach the BJP and its workers the befitting lesson,” ex-MP minister and Madhya Pradesh Congress MLA PC Sharma said.

  • Modi government owes a lot more to farmers than half-baked apology: Congress

    Every member of the Narendra Modi government must offer an 'unreserved apology' to the farmers, to the people and to the nation, the opposition party said in a series of tweets.

  • Will continue stir till six demands, including legal guarantee of MSP, is met: SKM

    The body also said that its agitation will not be called off at Delhi's border points, till the three farm laws, which triggered a year of protests by farmers, are formally repealed in Parliament.

  • Farm laws repeal shows BJP workers’ failure to explain their benefits: Uma Bharti

    The former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister said the farmers of India have never been satisfied with any of the government's measures so far.