Farmers Movement Archive

'Scrap farm laws first': Rahul Gandhi to PM Modi's offer of talks to farmers

The Centre's three farm laws will render 40% of the people dependent on agriculture jobless and the control will slip into the hands of corporates, said former Congress president Rahul Gandhi joining a kisan mahapanchayat in Rajasthan as part of the party's support to the farmers' protest against the laws passed in September.The Congress leader urged the Centre to scrap the three agricultural laws before further talks with farmers - who have been camping at Delhi border points for two months seeking a statutory guarantee on minimum support prices, or MSP, and pushing for repeal of the new laws."PM Modi says in Parliament that he wants to talk to the farmers but what talks do you want with farmers? End these laws first and then farmers will talk to you."You are snatching away land and the future of the farmers and asking for talks with them, there is no need for talks. First cancel these farm laws and then talk to farmers," he said at Pilibanga in Hanumangarh district at krishi upaj mandi.Defending the farm laws in Parliament, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that the new laws are not binding on the farmers and that they are free to sell their produce anywhere in the country. The PM again invited them for talks, underlining that reform in the agriculture sector was the need of the hour.The Congress will stand with farmers, poor and workers and will ensure these farm laws are withdrawn, stressed Rahul Gandhi, adding that the Modi government wants to give control of agriculture into the hands of some corporates."Agriculture protects food security of the country and India's 40% people are dependent on agriculture which means crores of people are part of it, including small traders, workers, commission agents and others. The Congress has always tried that this business should not go to a single entity and it should stay in the hands of 40% people", said the Congress leader."The first law says any big businessman can buy unlimited crops from any farmer in the country... If any person can buy all the crops then there will remain no need for any mandi so the first law means to kill mandi,” Gandhi said explaining the laws.Such a law would allow businessmen to hoard and control the prices of agricultural commodities, he said.“Hoarding is unlawful but when this second law will be enforced then unlimited hoarding will begin and India's biggest businessmen will do it,” alleged Gandhi.Gandhi stressed that the third law will limit farmers’ ability to seek justice when the right price for his crops is denied to him."The aim of these three farm laws is to give control of agriculture into the hands of two businessmen," alleged Gandhi without naming the businessmen.The first attack on farmers, workers and small traders was made through demonetisation, claimed Rahul Gandhi, adding that it robbed poor people of their money.The GST was the second assault on the small and medium size businesses as the government wants to clear way for its corporate friends, claimed Rahul."Small and middle size traders have still not understood GST as there are five different tax slabs and their business is ruined," said Gandhi.

Hindustan Times

12-02-2021

India