CHANDIGARH: A Punjab farmer has threatened to sue the Union Agriculture Ministry for using his picture, without his consent, on an advertisement in support of new farm policies.
“I oppose these policies and ordinances, but the ministry has used my old photograph without my approval. I have been projected in poor light.
I am ready to give some time to the government to remove my photograph from the advertisement and apologize. Else, I will send a legal notice to the Ministry of Agriculture,” says Gurpreet Singh of Chandbaja village in Faridkot district.
“The published photograph was taken in October 2018 when the DC of Faridkot visited my fields as I had not burnt the paddy stubble in my land that year as part of the anti-stubble burning campaign.’’ Singh grows wheat and paddy in his 10-acre land and is also an activist.
“These ordinances will ruin the farmers as corporates will take over and the MSP will end,’’ said Singh.
As many as 10 farmers' outfits held protests at many places in Punjab on Monday in support of their demands including rollback of farm ordinances and remunerative crop prices.
The call for the day-long protest was given by the All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee.
During the protest, the farmers slammed the central government over the issue of three ordinances related to the agriculture sector.
Describing them as "anti-farmers", the protesters claimed that these ordinances would "destroy" the farming community if they were implemented.
"These ordinances will only promote corporates which will exploit farmers," said a protester at Faridkot.
The Centre had passed three ordinances which are the Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Ordinance, Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Ordinance, and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Ordinance.
Farmers expressed fear that with these ordinances, the minimum support price system for foodgrain procurement would be dismantled.
"We handed over a memorandum to legislators in their respective areas at any place in support of our demands," said Darshan Pal, Convenor, of the Punjab chapter of All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee.
Pal said the farmers have also been demanding fixation of the MSP on the basis of recommendations of the Swaminathan Commission report.
"We also want the government to waive farmers' debt," said Pal, adding that farmers also urged the government to slash fuel prices.
Among the 10 farmers' outfits that participated in the protest included Jamhoori Kisan Sabha, Bhartiya Kisan Union (Dakunda), Krantikari Kisan Union, Punjab Kisan Union, Kisan Sangharsh Committee and Azad Kisan Sangharsh Committee.
(With PTI Inputs)