Farmers Movement Archive

Goa: New laws leave farmers at mercy of big firms, says Congress

PANAJI: As part of the ongoing nationwide agitation against the Centre’s new farm laws, Congress organised a protest meeting at Rivona, Sanguem on Saturday where the party attacked BJP for leaving farmers at the mercy of large corporates. Congress said that by withdrawing the guarantee of minimum support price (MSP) and by removing onion, potatoes, cereals and pulses from the list of essential commodities, farmers are at a disadvantage. “If the government really had some sensitivity towards the farmers then why didn’t Union minister Prakash Javadekar meet sugarcane, cashew, areca nut, coconut and paddy farmers to understand their problems,” said opposition leader Digambar Kamat. “With no guarantee of MSP, farmers will be left at the mercy of business tycoons.” Congress also said that BJP’s bias towards the rich had made BJP state president Sadanand Shet Tanawade “politically blind” and unable to see the pain of the farmers. “We will continue our fight till anti-farmer laws are withdrawn,” said state Congress president Girish Chodankar. South Goa MP Francisco Sardinha said that BJP’s lack of concern was exposed when they admitted in Lok Sabha that they do not have any data on the migrants who died during the lockdown while walking for miles to get back home after the nationwide lockdown was announced.

The Times of India

2020-10-11

Goa