Farmers Movement Archive

Ex-bureaucrats ask farmers to end stir

Lucknow: Former bureaucrats, a retired police officer and a farmer leader have written an open letter to farmers, telling them to trust the government over the three new farm laws and to end their protest. The letter, written by former UP chief secretary Atul Gupta, former IAS officer Sudesh Ojha, former DGP Sulkhan Singh and chairperson of the Bharatiya Kisan Manch Devendra Tiwari, contains an appeal to farmers who have been protesting for over two months to not get swayed by vested interests and to end their protest which is causing inconvenience to the common man. “Farmers should know about these farm laws. The Central and state governments have taken several steps to increase the farmers’ income. Special provisions have been made in the budget as well aimed at doubling the farmers’ income. A provision in the farm law states that a party which signs an agreement with a farmer cannot end the agreement without the farmer’s consent,” the letter says, adding that there is also a provision of bonus for farmers if the party signing the agreement makes ‘additional profit’. The letter goes on to say that contract farming is nothing new and has already been in practice in several parts of the state. The contract, it claims, is only for the produce and not for the land and farmers are being misled into believing that their land will be taken away. Listing out the government’s efforts to improve the farmers’ condition, including payment of Rs 1.15 lakh crore to sugarcane farmers and restarting closed sugar mills. The new laws will not lead to closure of mandis or ending of MSP. They also said farmers can sell their produce to anybody and at any place of their choice. “Innumerable rumours are being spread about the farm laws. The government has actually increased MSP. The new laws will ensure that the buyer is legally bound to make timely payments and issue receipts,” the letter says.

The Times of India

2021-03-12

Lucknow