Modi government bowed down against the pressure of peoples’ support to farmers. Image Courtesy – ThePrint
In the face of the stubbornness of the farmers, the Modi government bowed down. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has decided to withdraw all three controversial agriculture laws.
The PM made this big announcement in an 18-minute address to the nation, he said that the government brought this law in the interest of the farmers with a good intention, but the government failed to convince some farmers.
Some features of the address of Prime Minister Narendra Modi
1. First of all he wished Happy Diwali.
2. He said that his government was engaged in making the life of the countrymen easier just like the ideology of Guru Nanak while he adopted the path of service in the world. He said that their government has a plan to form 10,000 FPO Farmer Producer Organizations. The government has increased MSP and crop loans and was continuously taking one step after the other in the interest of farmers, especially the small farmers. Three agricultural laws were brought in this campaign so that the farmers would be benefited.
3. PM Modi further said that while apologizing to the countrymen, he wanted to say with a sincere heart that perhaps there must have been some deficiency in penance. Due to that, the government could not convince some farmers. He also urged the agitating farmers to return home and withdraw all three laws. The Parliament was going to start the session at the end of this month in which laws would be withdrawn.
4. The Prime Minister said that we have left no stone unturned to understand the farmers. They were even ready to change the provisions they objected to.
5. He said that 80 out of every 100 farmers in the country were small farmers. Even the small farmers have less than 2 hectares of land. The number of small farmers in India is more than 10 crores. His government gave top priority to farmer welfare. The central government made the crop insurance scheme effective. Soil health cards have been given to 22 crore farmers. The central government has been making every effort to give strength to the small farmers.
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The national spokesperson of the United Kisan Morcha, Rakesh Tikait, who was leading the farmers’ movement on the Ghazipur border of Delhi-UP, said in response that there would be no immediate action to the farmers’ movement. In an open letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (United Kisan Morcha) demanded immediate resumption of talks with the Center with six demands.
In their open letter, they demanded legislation to ensure minimum support price (MSP) for all farmers. Withdrawal of all cases filed against the farmers and construction of a monument at the Singhu border in memory of the protesting farmers who died in the movement. They claimed that 700 farmers have died during the movement.
On the day of the Prime Minister’s announcement, the farmers’ leaders had informed that the movement would not be withdrawn until the agricultural laws were officially repealed in the Parliament.
The farmers’ movement will continue to demand the withdrawal of statutory guarantee of MSP and power amendment bill. Thanking the Prime Minister for his decision to withdraw the three agricultural bills, the Morcha said, “After 11-point talks, you have walked the path of unilateral declaration instead of bilateral solution!” According to the farmers’ statement, the MSP should respect the legal rights of every farmer in the country for all types of agricultural products on the overall cost of crop production, so that the MSP is guaranteed by the government.
The Morcha also demanded that the ‘Commission for Air Quality Management in the National Capital Region and Adjusting Areas Act’ and the disciplinary action taken against the farmers in 2021 should also be withdrawn.
The United Kisan Morcha has also demanded the dismissal and arrest of Union Home Minister Ajay Mishra. Ashish Mishra, the son of Ajay Mishra, was accused in the Lakhimpur Kheri violence case. It was alleged that four farmers died on October 3, 2021, after being crushed under the wheels of the minister’s SUV car. Extreme unrest and violence spread due to that incident. Four more were killed in the violence. More than a dozen people, including Ashish Mishra, have been arrested in the case.
The Morcha stated, “If the meeting does not start with these demands, the movement will continue”. It was written in Morcha’s letter – “Prime Minister, you have asked the farmers to return home. We assure you, we don’t like sitting on the street either. We also want to return to home, family, agriculture as soon as possible after solving these problems”.
After a year-long movement, the Narendra Modi government bowed down against the farmers because the majority of the people supported the farmers’ movement.
