Three farm laws to be rolled back, says PM Modi in address to nation

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday announced that the government has decided to repeal the three farm laws. Addressing the nation on the occasion of the Parkash Purab of Sri Guru Nanak Dev, PM Modi said that in the coming Parliament session, the government will take constitutional measures to repeal these farm laws. The Winter Session of Parliament will begin on November 29.

“We have decided to repeal three farm laws,” the Prime Minister said and appealed to protesting farmers to call off their agitation and return to their homes. He added that the goal of laws was to empower farmers, especially small farmers. “Maybe something was lacking in our tapasya, which is why we could not convince some farmers about the laws,” the Prime Minister said.

The Prime Minister also highlighted the NDA government’s measures to benefit small farmers. He said that the government is committed to the welfare of farmers, adding that the government has brought several welfare schemes for small farmers.

He said that the NDA government’s agri budget has increased five times and that the rural infrastructure market has strengthened in the last six years and as a result, overall agricultural production has increased in the country.

“I have experienced farmers’ difficulties, challenges from very close quarters in my five decades of public life,” he said. “To ensure that farmers get the right amount for their hard work, many steps were taken. We strengthened the rural infrastructure market. We not only increased MSP but also set up record govt procurement centres. Procurement by our govt broke the record of past several decades, the PM said.

“Whatever I did, I did for farmers. What I’m doing, is for the country. With your blessings, I never left out anything in my hard work. Today I assure you that I’ll now work even harder, so that your dreams, nation’s dreams can be realised,” he said.

Meanwhile, BKU Ugrahan faction leader Joginder Singh Ugrahan has welcomed the Prime Minister’s announcement. He said that the decision to repeal farm laws is a good move by PM Modi on Gurupurab.

“All farmer unions will sit together and decide future course of action,” Singh said.

Thousands of farmers from Punjab, Haryana and Western Uttar Pradesh are agitating at three Delhi border points — Singhu, Tikri and Ghazipur — since last November against the three farm laws that they claim will do away with the minimum support price system, leaving them at the mercy of big corporations. Over 10 rounds of talks with the government failed to break the deadlock between the two parties. Although the Supreme Court had put the three laws on hold earlier this year, farmers were adamant about their demand to repeal the laws.

Earlier on January 26, a tractor parade in Delhi, that was to highlight the demands of farmer unions to repeal three agriculture laws, had dissolved into anarchy on the streets of the national capital as thousands of protesters broke through barriers, fought with the police, overturned vehicles and hoisted a religious flag from the ramparts of the iconic Red Fort.

News Credit: India TV News