PM Modi announces repeal of farm laws, LG lauds decision

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday announced a rollback of the three agri laws at the centre of protests by farmers for the past year, a surprise concession warily welcomed by farmers and also Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir Manoj Sinha.

Farmers took precisions to celebrate the decision while LG Sinha said that this is the beauty of democracy to respect people’s opinions.

Addressing the nation on Guru Nanak Jayanti, Modi appealed to farmers who had set up camp at entry points into the national capital since November 28 last year to return home. He maintained that the laws were for their benefit and then apologized to people of the country, adding that the government could not convince a section of farmers despite its clear heart and clean conscience.

“There may have been some shortcoming in our efforts due to which we could not explain the truth, as clear as the light of the diya, to some of our farmer brothers,” Modi said, referring to the protests, spearheaded by farmers from Punjab and also Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh. which left about 700 dead.

Welcoming the announcement of the repeal of the laws, which had pitted farmers and the government against each other through 12 months of dogged protests and 11 rounds of talks, the Samyukt Kisan Morcha said their agitation was not just against the repeal of the three black laws but also also for a statutory guarantee to remunerative prices for all agricultural produce and for all farmers.

This important demand of farmers is still pending,” the umbrella body of 40 farm unions said in a statement. It said it welcomed the decision but would wait for the announcement to take effect through due parliamentary procedures.

As drumbeats were heard in several places and sweets distributed at the unexpected victory , Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Rakesh Tikait added that the government should talk to farmers over the issue of minimum support price (MSP) of crops and other matters.

The prime minister in his speech that comes on the occasion of Gurpurab and also ahead of elections in Punjab and Uttar Pradesh early next year — noted that it it is the birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev and no occasion to blame anyone.

“I have come to tell you that we have decided to repeal the three farm laws. In the upcoming Parliament session starting at the end of this month, we will complete the constitutional process to repeal the three farm laws,” Modi said.

He requested all his farmer friends to return home to their fields and families and make a new beginning on this auspicious occasion, a day when gurudwaras across the country are lit up to celebrate the festival.

Let us move forward afresh,” Modi said, adding that the goal of the three farm laws was to empower farmers, especially small farmers.

He listed various steps taken by his government for the welfare of small farmers and pointed out that the agriculture budget has risen by five times with over Rs.1.25 lakh crore spent annually.

Modi said he had seen the challenges faced by farmers very closely in his five decades of public life. Therefore, when the country gave him the opportunity to serve as ‘Pradhan Sevak’ in 2014, he gave top priority to agriculture development and farmers welfare.

The three farm bills at the centre of emotive protests and debate are the Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, Farmers’ (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020 and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020.

According to Supreme Court-appointed farm panel member Anil Ghanwat, the move to repeal the laws is a regressive step because Modi chose politics over farmers’ betterment.

Our panel had submitted several corrections and solutions over the three farm laws, but instead of using it to solve the impasse, Modi and BJP chose to backtrack. They just want to win elections and nothing else, the president of the Shetkari Sanghatna told.

The ruling BJP will hope the decision to repeal the three laws will cancel out the political headwinds it has encountered in Punjab and western Uttar Pradesh.

“It is the beauty of democracy to respect people’s opinions. I welcome the Prime Minister’s decision. There were several discussions between the farmers and the Centre. However, they could not come to a concrete solution following which the laws have been repealed,” LG said that after paying obeisance at Gurudwara Sahib in Chand Nagar here on the occasion of the Prakash Parv of Guru Nanak Devi .

In my personal opinion, if one compares the statistical figures, the Minimum Support Price (MSP) and the agricultural produce have been significantly increased in this sector since 2014. Despite this, the impasse remained. I do not wish to further speak on the issue and welcome the decision,” Sinha said.

“The teachings of Guru Nanak Dev Ji are showing the way to entire humanity for the last 500 years. The divine Guru believed and propagated selfless service as a priceless virtue,” Sinha said

He said every single word of Guru Nanak’s teachings is as relevant today as it was 500 years ago.
“It is the duty of all of us to imbibe Guru Nanak Dev Ji’s mantra of contentment and selfless service, and spread it to the masses,” the Lt Governor said while addressing a gathering at the gurudwara.

“The new generations must imbibe the great learnings propagated by Guru Nanak Ji to understand the purpose of human life and have a fulfilling life’s journey.
Our ancestors considered religion as the basis of life and religion always connects and does not divide, Sinha said.

The Lt Governor expressed gratitude towards Prime Minister Narendra Modi for promoting selfless service as a national duty by making an action plan based on the teachings of revered Sikh Gurus. He said it is a matter of happiness that Kartarpur Corridor has been opened before the Prakash Parv.

He lauded the efforts of the Sikh community in Jammu and Kashmir during the Covid pandemic.
The work done by the Sikh community to provide food and ration to the people during Covid is an inspiration for the whole country, he said.