Monday, 22 November 2021 | PNS | New Delhi
Union Cabinet may discuss repeal of 3 farm laws on Nov 24
The core committee of the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) on Sunday decided to wait and watch till November 27 before making any announcement on ending the year-long farmers’ protest, two days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s announcement to repeal the three controversial farm laws.
The Union Cabinet is likely to discuss the withdrawal of the three farm laws on Wednesday, November 24. The proposal to repeal will then be taken up by Parliament after it convenes for the Winter Session on November 29.
“The repeal of the three farm laws will be taken up for approval in the Union Cabinet meeting to be held on Wednesday,” said the source. After the Cabinet approval, the same would be brought before the Parliament for further approval during the Winter Session.
The three farm laws are: The Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020, and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020
The agitation programmes of the farmers will continue as per the original plan until their meeting on November 27. The Kisan Mahapanchayat to be held in Lucknow on November 22, is a show of strength days after Modi’s announcement.
Balbir Singh Rajewal, who is part of the core committee of the SKM, said that the joint front would decide its next course of action at a meeting on November 27. “We discussed the repeal of farm laws. After this, some decisions were taken. The SKM’s pre-decided agitations will continue as it is. The Kisan Mahapanchayat will be held in Lucknow on November 22, gatherings at all borders on November 26 and march to Parliament on November 29”, Rajewal said at a press conference soon after the meeting at the Singhu Border.
Farmer leaders said that they are waiting for the Union Cabinet’s decision before making any formal announcement on their course of action now and whether they will be formally ending their protest. The meeting decided to send an open letter to Prime Minister Modi, raising the pending demands of the farmers’ movement, including central legislation to guarantee a remunerative MSP, cancellation of criminal cases against farmer leaders and their supporters.
The SKM held a meeting on Sunday at the Singhu Border where it discussed the future course of action on the farmers’ protests including on the MSP issue and the proposed daily tractor march to Parliament during the upcoming Winter Session. This was the second meeting of farmer leaders in the backdrop of Modi’s surprise announcement on the controversial agriculture laws that prompted year-long protests from tens of thousands of farmers and posed a significant political challenge to the administration.
The SKM appealed to the farmers to take part in all the events planned by it. The farmers are also demanding compensation for those who lost their lives during the protests and the withdrawal of cases registered against some of them and removal of Union Minister of State for Home Ajay Mishra. The SKM also hailed the Telangana Government for supporting the kin of the late farmers by announcing a support of Rs 3 lakh each.
Meanwhile, in a tweet in Hindi on Sunday, the Bharatiya Kisan Union national spokesperson Rakesh Tikait said: “Chalo Lucknow, Chalo Lucknow (let’s go to Lucknow) for MSP Adhikaar Kisaan Mahapanchayat. The agriculture reforms being talked about are fake and cosmetic. The farm reforms are not going to stop the plight of the farmers. The biggest reform for the farmers and agriculture will be to make a law pertaining to the MSP.”
According to the vice-president of Uttar Pradesh unit of BKU Harnam Singh Verma, though the PM has announced the repeal of the three farm laws, he did not say when the MSP law will be made. Until a law is made on the MSP, and Union Minister of State for Home Ajay Mishra is removed, the agitation will continue”. Verma also said a number of other issues will also be discussed at the farmers’ Mahapanchayat. “The BJP had said (during the previous Assembly elections in UP) that once it forms the Government in the State, payment will be made to the sugarcane farmers within 14 days, but this mechanism could not be implemented in UP. In a span of four-and-a-half years, the increase in sugarcane price was barely Rs 25,” he said.
Meanwhile, in Haryana, when State Agriculture Minister JP Dalal reached Tosham for an inauguration event of a court complex, farmers gathered in large numbers for a black flag protest
