Party to hold 100 press conferences, 718 farmers’ meetings in various parts of the country to explain ‘correct’ implications of new farm laws
With agitating farmers reluctant to accept Government’s offer on farm laws and intensifying their stir, the BJP has sought to launch a strong counter-awareness campaign to mobilise support for the new agriculture marketing laws with the public and the farmers outside Punjab and Haryana.
The ruling party’s vigorous outreach programme in “next few days” would involve 100 press conferences and 718 farmers meeting in as many districts to explain “correct” implications of the three farm laws to the farmers of the country, sources said.
The BJP leaders would organise “kisan sammelans” in rural “chaupals” to convince the farmers that the new farm laws would give them “unrestricted freedom” to sell and “increase” their income by way of contract farming, said sources in the party.
The new Central farm laws have allowed trade and contract in agricultural produce as also removed restrictions on hoarding by amending essential commodities Act. Farmers are demanding that the Government rollback these law which they say would put farmers at the mercy of corporate traders and their profiteering business.
According to BJP leaders, their “awareness campaign” (on the farm laws) which got thwarted on account of coronavirus pandemic, would be expanded and also involve farmers outside Punjab and Haryana, the States which, they claim, are “mainly feeding” the current stir on the outskirts of Delhi.
Union and State Cabinet Ministers will take part in the intense communication campaign with documents and “point-by-point” allay farmers’ apprehensions on the laws as they would also list out Government’s “readiness” to amend the sections which may help neutralising their fears on contract farming.
The farmers wing of the RSS — “Bharatiya Kisan Sangh” (BKS) — is too planning to organise a massive farmer outreach and around “Kisan Chaupals” in different parts of the country to showcase the benefits of the farm laws.
“The exercise has already begun in right earnest in rural areas,” said one of the BKS leaders.
The BKS has asked all its units to “help farmers in procurement and payment” issues across the country.
The BKS while supporting demand for guaranting Minimum Support Price to the farmers has not joined the farmers agitation, citing “politicisation” of the protest.
The BJP is attempting to rope in farmers who are inclined to toe a middle-path” in the ongoing protest and be satisfied with the amendments and guaranteeing the MSP and not be with the “extremists” wanting a complete annulment of the three farm laws, sources said.
Saturday, 12 December 2020 | PNS | New Delhi
