NEW DELHI: Amid hardening of stance by farmer unions, a joint delegation of opposition parties met President Ram Nath Kovind on Wednesday evening and sought revocation of the new farm laws. The delegation demanded that the President intervene and direct the Centre to accept the demands of the protesting farmers.
The five political leaders included Congress’s Rahul Gandhi, CPI-M’s Sitaram Yechury, CPI’s D. Raja, NCP’s Sharad Pawar and DMK’s TKS Elangovan.
They claimed the support of at least 20 different parties.
“We informed the President that it is absolutely critical that these anti-farmer laws are withdrawn. These laws are against farmers who are on a non-violent protest against the three new laws,” said Gandhi after the meeting.
Opposition leaders accused the government of trying to scare away the protesting farmers.
“If the farm laws are for the benefit of farmers, then Prime Minister Narendra Modi should explain why they are protesting. These laws would not benefit the farmers,” said the former Congress chief.
He said the way the farm laws were passed in Parliament, "we feel it was an insult to farmers and that is why they are protesting in the cold weather against them".
The three bills were passed without any discussion or conversation with the opposition parties or with farmers, he said.
"The kisan (farmer) has lost faith in the government. The kisan does not believe that the government is acting in their interest and that is why lakhs of them are on the streets, non-violently, compassionately on the streets," Gandhi said, adding, "The farmers will not relent and will continue their protests till the laws and taken back."
Later, Gandhi tweeted, "The farmers of the country have realised that they have been cheated by the Modi government and they are not going to relent because they know that if they compromise today they will have no future. The farmers are India. We are all with farmers. Stay put."
Pawar said it was the government’s duty to resolve the deadlock. During discussions in Parliament on the new farm laws, all parties had requested that these should be sent to a select committee.
“No suggestion was accepted and the Bills were passed in a hurry,” said Pawar, adding the parties have requested the President that these laws should be repealed.
Yechury said, “We told the President that the three farm laws were passed undemocratically in Parliament. We have sought to repeal these laws.”
The opposition delegation was limited to five because of the COVID-19 situation.
The Opposition leaders submitted a memorandum which said, “These new agriculture laws, passed in Parliament in an anti-democratic manner preventing a structured discussion and voting, threaten India’s food security, destroy Indian agriculture and our farmers, lay the basis for the abolishment of the Minimum Support Price (MSP) and mortgage Indian agriculture and our markets to the caprices of multinational agri-business corporates and domestic corporates.”
"We urge upon you, as the custodian of the Indian Constitution, to persuade your government not to be obdurate and accept the demands raised by India's annadatas."
Gandhi said the new laws appeared to be aimed at handing over the farming sector to the "friends of the prime minister", but the farmers are fearless and would not back off and will continue with their peaceful agitation.
He said the government should have no "misconception" and the "farmers will not compromise" on the issue because if they do that they will have no future.
"I want to tell the farmers that if they don't stand up now, they won't be able to stand up anytime in future," he added.
NCP leader Pawar said various political parties have requested the President that these farm laws should be repealed as they were not discussed with either stakeholders or in the Select Committee of Parliament.
The former agriculture minister said not a single suggestion of opposition leaders raised in Parliament were accepted by the government and all these bills were passed in haste.
He said the MSP has not been mentioned in the new farm laws and that is why the farmers are disturbed.
Raja said these three laws will place the farmers and agricultural workers at the "mercy of corporates" and big agri-businesses.
"This is not in the interest of the country as a whole. It is not affecting only the farmers, who have been protesting for last two weeks, it will subject the agriculture workers to horrific living conditions," Raja said, adding as political parties, "they cannot remain mute spectators".
Elangovan said the government promised Parliament that they will implement the recommendations of the Swaminathan Commission on Minimum Support Price.
"But this bill has negated that promise," he added.
The opposition leaders said the prime ministers have been saying that these laws are in the interest of farmers, but the question is if these laws are in their favour then why the farmers are protesting out in the cold.
The three farm laws enacted in September have been projected by the government as major reforms in the agriculture sector that will remove the middlemen and allow farmers to sell anywhere in the country.
However, the protesting farmers have expressed apprehension that the new laws would pave the way for eliminating the safety cushion of Minimum Support Price and do away with the mandis, leaving them at the mercy of big corporates.
(With PTI Inputs)