Farmers Movement Archive

BKU faction moves SC against new laws

The Bharatiya Kisan Union (Bhanu) on Friday moved the Supreme Court highlighting the “inconclusive” talks with the Centre over the repeal of the three controversial farm laws, which it said would lead to the cartelisation of agricultural produce and usher in an exploitative regime. The farmers’ body said the court should direct the government to strengthen the existing Agriculture Produce Market Committee (APMC) system for sale of farm produce at a good bargain. The Union said, rather than expecting a poor and illiterate farmer to strike a hard bargain and sell his produce to a multinational, the government should infuse more funds into the APMC system and effectively manage the minimum support price for the welfare of the agriculture sector. The petition, filed through advocate A.P. Singh, suggested the Constitution of a ‘Farmers Commission’ to fix the prices of crops. The farmers’ body recommended the waiver of agriculture loans to help farmers find their feet during the pandemic. It said farmers have taken their own lives unable to bear the burden of their debts. Road to ruin “If these [laws] are allowed, we are going to completely ruin our country as the corporates can, in one stroke, export our agriculture produce without any regulation. This may even result in famines,” the petition said. The petition said the three laws were passed hastily, with hardly any discussion. “In their current form, they will spell disaster for the farming community by opening a parallel market which is unregulated and gives enough place for exploitation of farmers... Farmers will become vulnerable to corporate greed of multinational companies,” the petition said. The Acts will spell disaster for the farmers... They will become vulnerable to corporate greed Bharatiya Kisan Union

The Hindu

2020-12-12

NEW DELHI