Punjab farmer objects to use of photo in farm ordinance campaign
Item
Title
Punjab farmer objects to use of photo in farm ordinance campaign
Description
BATHINDA: The Union agriculture and farmer welfare ministry’s campaign to promote farm ordinances has failed to impress many, least of all its “protagonist”. A farmer from Punjab, whose photograph has been used in a poster released on Sunday, has been left hurt and fuming. “I vehemently oppose the three ordinances and can never be part of their promotion,” Gurpreet Singh, who is also an environmentalist and a social activist, of Chandbhaja village in Faridkot district told TOI. He said that these ordinances were antifarmer as they disturb the prevailing trade practices and leave farmers at the mercy of corporate companies. “I feel hurt as the ministry has used my photograph without my consent. I will raise the matter with the ministry and lodge a protest as I cannot be seen promoting something that I oppose. How I can be a party to this and term these ordinances as farmer friendly? Now, I’ll find to tough to explain my position to those with whom I am working against ordinances,” he said. It has put me in an awkward situation: FarmerThe ministry has used a photograph which was actually taken in 2018, when Gurpreet had ploughed the paddy straw, and not burnt it, in his fields at Chandbhaja to prepare them for wheat sowing. Then Faridkot deputy commissioner Rajiv Parashar had visited his fields to show appreciation for his anti-stubble burning efforts. The same picture has now part of the campaign material released on Sunday, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a slew of projects under PM-Kisan scheme. The photo has been used under hashtag of #AatmaNirbharKrishi and mentions one of the three ordinances. Kotkapura MLA Kultar Singh Sandhwan, who works together with Gurpreet in NGO Bhai Ghanaya Cancer Roko Sewa Society, said, “The Prime Minister and the Union ministry should first have taken Gurpreet’s consent and his views about ordinances before using his photo and putting him in an awkward situation.”
Publisher
The Times of India
Date
2020-08-10
Coverage
Amritsar