Farmers Movement Archive

Agri bills death knell in garb of reform, says LIP chief Simarjit Singh Bains

Lok Insaf Party (LIP) staged a massive protest at Dhandari Chowk against the “anti-farmer” legislations approved by the Union government here on Friday.Led by party president Simarjit Singh Bains and patron Jathedar Balwinder Singh Bains, the agitating office-bearers and workers raised slogans against the PM Narendra Modi-led BJP government and demanded the repealing of the law.Addressing the workers, farmers, farm labourers, and other organisations, the LIP chief said it was not an agrarian reform law but a death sentence for the farmers.He said with the implementation of this law, the farmers would remain as bonded labourers in their own fields and would be forced to sow only those crops which the industrial houses like Adani-Ambani would want and they would also decide the price. He added that as per the provisions of the law when the farm land would be taken on lease, the industrial houses would have the right to draw loans on them. Bains said 70-80% of the farmers of Punjab were already in debt and their lands were mortgaged with the banks, under which the industrial houses would first buy their crops at half price and later usurp their land.Effigy burnt outside Jama Masjid Meanwhile, members of the Muslim community here came out in support of the farmers and joined their cause. They also burnt an effigy of the central government outside Jama Masjid on Friday.Maulana Habib-ur-Rehman Sani Ludhianvi, national president and Shahi Imam of the Jamaat Ahle Islam Hind, said people must stand up and save the nation from being sold out to crony capitalists.Earlier during the day, trade unions also joined the protesting farmers and took out a procession from Jagraon Bridge to oppose the agriculture-related bills.

Hindustan Times

25-09-2020

City