MUMBAI: Film Actor Anupam Kher on Monday extended his support to the passing of the agriculture Bills in the Parliament.
In a video message to ANI, Kher without mentioning the name of the Bills, narrated a scene of his film to show the farmers' plight in the country in the past.
He said, "In 1990 a film of mine was released named 'Jeene Do'. In the film, I portrayed the character of a poor farmer, who takes his produce (grains) in 'Mandi' and there a middleman decides the price of grains as per his whims."
"In that scene, late actor Amrish Puri who played the role a 'Zamindar' (landlord) came and decided the price of grains by himself and asked all the grains to be sent to his own godown. Then the farmer finds out that in a ration shop the grains that he produced were selling at a price of Rs 250, which he had sold earlier at a price of Rs 150," Kher said.
"The point of saying this is that 30 years ago the farmers' condition was worse and it had been similar even before that. But now with the Bill, which was passed, the conditions would change. The farmer has now become his own lord," the actor said.
"The farmers themselves should be Atmaanirbhar. To make them strong is the work of the government, which has happened now," he added.
Rajya Sabha on Sunday passed the Farmers' and Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020 and the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill, 2020, amid protests by Opposition Members of Parliament.
The Bills were passed by voice vote in the Upper House. Both of these Bills were passed by the Lower House with a voice vote a couple of days back.