Farmers Movement Archive

Farmers move ‘no trust’ motion against Narendra Modi government

BATHINDA: With 12 opposition parties participating in the “parallel parliament” being organised farm organisation at Jantar Mantar in Delhi, protesting farmers moved a ‘no-confidence motion’ against the Narendra Modi government on Friday. On the 12th day of the ‘Kisan Sansad’, MPs from the opposition parties, led by Congress’s Rahul Gandhi, told them they would not let Parliament function till the farmer laws were repealed. The monsoon session of Parliament is will go on till August 13. During these 12 days the farmers held debates on the three contentious farm laws, apart from the electricity bill and the air quality management bill. Gandhi said the Narendra Modi government was not listening to opposition demand of repealing farm laws and debate on Pegasus spyware. The opposition parties were fully with farmers in raising their voice. Earlier, farm leader Balbir Singh Rajewal “tabled the no-confidence motion”. Seconding it, Yogendra Yadav listed seven charges against the seven years of the NDA government. Yadav said the first charge was “cheating” in the name of doubling farm income. The government promised to double farm income in six years which will expire on February 27, 2022. To double the income, the growth should have been 10.4% per annum but as per economic survey of the government the growth is 3.3% per annum, which was even lower than previous UPA government when it was 4.5%. The second charge was it failed in ensuring 50% profit on input cost. It closed bonus on crops and implementing Shanta Kumar committee report on disbanding of FCI. It changed the parameters and counted the partial input cost on A2FL+50 instead of complete cost under C2+50%. It changed import-export policy “while snatching money from farmers”. In 2014, the export was 1.59 lakh crore more than imports, which had decreased to 1 lakh crore, he claimed. The Centre increased farmers’ input cost by increasing prices of diesel. The farmers also accused the government of not properly implementing ‘Fasal Bima Yozna’. Farm leader Darshanpal headed the proceedings when the ‘motion’ was tabled. The retired civil servants from Punjab too attended the ‘sansad’.

The Times of India

2021-08-07

Amritsar