Victory for farmers, farm laws withdrawn
Farm laws repealed. Farmers win. Victory of democratic agitation.
The Union Government finally bowed to the nation-wide demand of framers to repeal the three farm laws, which they described as anti-farmer.
The decision to withdraw the laws was announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a televised address to the nation.
The repealed laws are Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020; Farmers’ (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and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.
The farmers have been protesting against the laws since their passing in the parliament. Thousands of farmers have been protesting on the boundaries of Delhi since November 2020, demanding the withdrawal of the laws. Over 600 farmers have lost their lives during the last one year of agitation. Apart from this, there have been losses to farmers due to the inability to involve in agricultural activities due to the agitation.
Unwilling to accept that it was a setback for the government in withdrawing the three laws, Modi claimed that the government has done enough to uplift the farmers. Before announcing the repealing of the laws, he praised the laws.
He blamed it on the farmers that they were not convinced about the benefits of the laws for them. He said, “We have been trying and trying, using different mediums, and talks have been on. We have heard their arguments and understood them. We were even ready to change some provisions and suspended these laws for two years. The matter is also before the Supreme Court.”
“I apologise to the nation, because there seems to have been something lacking in our efforts, because of which we were unavailable to explain the truth to some farmers. Today is Guru Nanak Jayanti and not the time to blame anyone. I would like to announce to everyone that we have decided to repeal these laws. I hope the protesting farmers will now return to their homes, return to their farms, and we can start afresh,” he added.
A majority of the farmers protesting outside Delhi are Sikhs and Modi chose Guru Nanak Jayanti to make the announcement.