Farmers Movement Archive

New definition of reform, democracy: Chidambaram slams Economic Survey

Hours after the government tabled the Economic Survey 2020-2021, senior Congress leader P Chidambaram slammed the report saying the terms defined in it as reforms have all been rejected by the people of the country. In a series of tweets, Chidambaram said while the Economic Survey is “witnessing a V-shaped recovery”, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has that the Indian economy "will reach the pre-Covid level only in 2025!"“According to the Survey, the top three ‘structural reforms’ were the (1) anti farmer laws (2) the new MSME definition and (3) the four Labour Codes. The farmers have rejected the three Farm laws. The MSMEs have said that they had got no relief at all. The Trade Unions have rejected the four Labour Codes. What is reform is what the people have rejected. It is the new definition of ‘reform’ and ‘democracy’,” the former Union finance minister said in one of his tweets.The farmers have rejected the three Farm laws. The MSMEs have said that they had got norelief at all. The Trade Unions have rejected the four Labour Codes! What is reform is what the people have rejected. It is the new definition of ‘reform’ and ‘democracy’Chidambaram also pointed out the "best decision" of the Centre. "The best decision taken by the government is the decision not to print the Economic Survey. Once upon a time, the Survey was the vehicle to communicate to the people in simple language the state of the economy and the prospects in the coming year," he said. "The most frequently used word in the Economic Survey is “regression”. The current government has taught us the meaning of “recession”. When you learn the meaning of “recession” and “regression”, you will qualify to be included in the team to write the next Economic Survey," he added.Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented the Economic Survey 2020-21 in Parliament on Friday, ushering the Budget session. The Budget will be presented on February 1. The government's pre-Budget state of economy document hailed the three contentious farm laws, stating that they will give freedom to the markets as well as help in raising incomes of small and marginal farmers. "The newly introduced farm laws herald a new era of market freedom which can go a long way in the improvement of farmer welfare in India," the survey said.The document also added that the reforms in agriculture markets will enable the creation of 'one India one market' for agri-products, yield innumerable opportunities for farmers to move up the value chain, create jobs and increase incomes."The reforms in the agricultural sector were more overdue than even the labour reforms as the existing laws kept the Indian farmer enslaved to the local mandi and their rent-seeking intermediaries. While every other category of producer in India had the freedom to decide where to sell his/ her produce, the Indian farmer did not," the document observed.Thousands of farmers, mainly from Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh, are protesting at various borders of the national capital seeking repeal of the three bills. They have expressed concerns that the laws are pro-corporate and could weaken government-regulated mandis, also called Agriculture Produce Marketing Committees (APMCs).

Hindustan Times

29-01-2021

India