Farmers Movement Archive

Congress: Central, state govts anti-farmer

PATNA: Congress general secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala on Thursday slammed the central and state governments over passage of farm Bills in the Parliament. Rajya Sabha MP and AICC incharge for Bihar Shaktisinh Gohil, on the other hand, said if elected to power in the state, the Congress will come up with a Minimum Support Price Guarantee Act for the farmers. Addressing mediapersons at Sadaquat Ashram here, Surjewala said, “Even farmland has been mortgaged in the country. At least 62 crore farmers are on warpath following the passage of the Bills. However, PM Narendra Modi and Bihar CM Nitish Kumar are misguiding people.” “If there is no procurement system and Agriculture Produce Marketing Committee (APMC), how will the farmers get minimum support price (MSP)? Is it possible for the Food Corporation of India to purchase the agriculture produce from the farms of 15 crore framers? What is the punishment for big corporates if they do not buy at MSP?” Surjewala asked. He also cited the example of Bihar where APMC was removed in 2006 by the Nitish government. “Bihar is an example of how farmers are unable to sell their produce at MSP. None of the three Bills passed in Parliament talk about punishment to corporate if they purchase produce below MSP,” Surjewala added. Chhattisgarh health minister T S Singh Deo cited the example of an FIR lodged against potato farmers in Gujarat by a corporate giant involved in production of chips. “Did PM Modi stand for those framers?” he asked. Gohil lashed out at the NDA government in Bihar for supporting the Bills. “Twelve political parties in the country have raised voice against the farm Bills, including the RJD. If the Grand Alliance (GA) comes to power in the state, it will bring Minimum Support Price Guarantee Act. The GA allies will sit together to discuss the matter,” Gohil added. The Congress has planned a phase-wise demonstration against the Bills in Bihar from Saturday. On October 2, the party will submit a memorandum to the governor to be forwarded to the President. From October 2 to 31, party members will visit villages and collect signatures of people against the Bills. “We have targeted to collect two crore signatures. Our party president Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi will submit the signatures to the President,” Surjewala added. The Congress has also decided to extend support to the Bharat bandh called by different farmer organisations on Friday. The RJD has also extended its support to the bandh. RJD’s state spokesperson Chitranjan Gagan said party members will sit in protest in all the district headquarters.

The Times of India

2020-09-25

Patna