Peerzada Arshad Hamid
NEW DELHI, Sept 27 (NNN-PTI) – Thousands of farmers in several Indian states, took to roads and railway tracks yesterday, for the third day of protests against the government’s recently passed farm bills.
They threatened to intensify the protests, if the government does not repeal the bills.
Nationwide protests were called by a group of farmers’ organisations. Opposition parties, including the Indian National Congress, as well as, central trade unions voiced their support for the farmers.
Three farm bills were passed by both houses of the Indian parliament, during the recently concluded Monsoon session and will become law soon after the President’s approval, a formality.
According to the federal government, the move will open up the tightly-controlled agriculture sector to free-market forces and will make easier for farmers to sell their products directly to private buyers and to enter into the contract with private companies, anywhere in the country.
The government hopes private sector investments will stimulate growth. However, farmers fear that the new bills will lead to the entry of private players and corporates, with small farmers being pushed to the wall.
“The new bills will eventually end the role of Mandis (wholesale markets) and assured prices,” said Kulwinder Singh, a farmer.
To subdue the vociferous nationwide protests, Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, hailed the farm bills as “historic” and hit out at the opposition, for misleading the farmers for political gain.
Massive protests against the farm bills broke out in Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal and Karnataka.
More than 265 farmers’ groups, affiliated with the All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee (AIKSCC), took part in the protests, alongside about 100 non-affiliated groups, AIKSCC General Secretary, Avik Saha, said.
“I received inputs from organising secretaries that protests were held at around 20,000 spots nationwide,” he added.
Yesterday a group of bare-chested protesters in Punjab, sat on railway tracks and chanted slogans against the federal government, demanding withdrawal of the farm bills.
Railway authorities have cancelled over two dozen trains in Punjab, in three days, amid the farmers’ protests.
Reports said, farmers also gathered in Uttar Pradesh’s Noida, which borders the national capital, New Delhi, on Friday, prompting the deployment of police in riot gear, to keep them from crossing the border. In parts of Uttar Pradesh protesters also led to the blockade of several roads.
Last week, the upper house of parliament, passed two of the controversial bills amid stiff opposition. Lawmakers from opposition parties accused the government of flouting parliamentary procedure by passing the bills hurriedly, and not listening to their demand to send the bills to a parliamentary committee for further deliberations.
The stand-off led to the suspension of eight opposition members, who staged a sit-in outside parliament through Monday night.
Meanwhile, the Congress party yesterday launched a “Speak up for farmers” campaign on social media, protesting the farm bills.– NNN-PTI
