India
‘31 cases registered to suppress us’: protests will continue till our demands fulfilled, say farmer leaders
New Delhi: Amid the ongoing widespread protests by farmers mostly from Punjab against GoI’s new agriculture laws in Delhi and in its border areas, the farmer leaders have decided to continue their protest till their demands are met.
In a press conference, the leaders said that the widespread protests will continue until their demands are fulfilled by the government of India.
We will continue our agitation until our demands are met: Farmer leaders at press conference on protest against new agri laws
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) November 30, 2020
During the presser, one of the farmer leaders, Gurnam Singh Chadoni, said that 31 cases have been registered against the farmers to suppress their agitation.
31 cases registered against us to suppress our agitation: Farmer leader Gurnam Singh Chadoni at a presser by protesters against new farm laws
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) November 30, 2020
The representatives of the protesting farmers also said that they have come to Delhi for a decisive battle.
Earlier, the farmers were offered talks by the Home Minister of India Amit Shah; however, the farmer leaders rejected the offer and are demanding the rollback of the three new agriculture laws passed by the parliament of India this year.
Pertinently, anger against the GoI has been simmering since the month of September when the parliament of India passed three farm laws. From last many days, thousands of farmers from Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh have been marching toward the New Delhi and are nearing the borders.
After failing to garner support from their respective state governments, the farmers have decided to mount pressure on the GoI, due to which they are coming to Delhi.
In UP and Haryana, BJP led governments have failed to convince farmers, however, governments of Rajasthan and Punjab have extended full support to their agitation.
Farmers want GoI to either withdraw the three legislations or guarantee them the minimum support price (MSP) for their crops by introducing a new law.
Gurnam Singh Chaduni is leading the protestors from Haryana. Gurnam had contested the 2019 Assembly elections from Ladwa constituency in Kurukshetra district, but got only 1,307 votes. However, he was quite active in raising farmers’ issues and led several protests across the state.
Apart from Gurnam, several national and regional farm unions, comprising many leaders, have joined hands under the umbrella banner of Samyukt Kisan Morcha.
As farmers do not accept the three new legislations — The Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation); The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance; and Farm Services and The Essential Commodities (Amendment), they believe the laws will open agricultural sale and marketing outside the notified Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) mandis for farmers, remove the barriers to inter-state trade, and provide a framework for electronic trading of agricultural produce.
Since the state governments will not be able to collect market fee, cess or levy for trade outside the APMC markets, farmers believe the laws will gradually end the mandi system and leave farmers at the mercy of corporates.
They are also of the opinion that dismantling the mandi system will bring an end to the assured procurement of their crops at MSP. Similarly, farmers believe the price assurance legislation may offer protection to farmers against price exploitation, but will not prescribe the mechanism for price fixation.
Farmers are demanding the government guarantee MSP in writing, or else the free hand given to private corporate houses will lead to their exploitation.
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