Lucknow (Zamini Sach):Without debate and the division of votes, all the three Bills – The Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020, The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill, 2020, and The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill, 2020 – passed in Parliament are the biggest ever act of betrayal against farmers, who have now been left at the mercy of market and capitalist forces.UPCC president Mr Ajay Kumar Lallu, while addressing media persons here, said that there is no mention of the minimum support price (MSP) in all the three laws, which will ring the death knell for the government run vegetable and fruit markets and farmers will be constrained to sell their produce at the rate decided by capitalists. By destroying the existing system of grain, vegetable and fruits market, the government is hell bent upon crippling the farm ecosystem to benefit capitalists. He said the mandis ensure proper rate and weight for farmers, which the BJP wants to dismantle. The Congress party has demanded that under One Nation, One Support Price, one rate should be fixed for grains, fruits and vegetables for the state and the whole of the country as well. The provision of the MSP should be incorporated in new legislation and should be ensured that farmers do not get less than the MSP against any of their produce.The new legislations have no mention of the MSP which is indicative of the fact that the government has handed over the agriculture sector to the corporate and capitalists in totality. 86.4 per cent farmers, with less than two acres of land, will be out of the new competitive arrangement. They will be deprived of rights and their status will be that of labourers. By removing grains, pulses, edible oils, onion, potatoes and other produce from the schedule of the Essential Commodities Act, the traders will indulge in hoarding and black-marketing. There will be instability in prices. The black marketing will become rampant of which only the common man will have to bear the brunt.The UPCC chief said that the new legislations enacted by the Centre will render the farmers powerless and hapless on one hand, on the other, lakhs of families who are getting their livelihood from the marketing boards will be in trouble as a large number of people who are employed there will be jobless. The development works, which are being carried out with the income of the marketing board, will also come to a halt.Mr Ajay Kumar Lallu came down heavily on the Centre, State government and the BJP for spreading the white lies that all the points incorporated in the new laws were part of the Congress’ manifesto, saying that they are now speaking lies and misleading the people as the BJP’s anti-farmer character is out in the open like anything.Mr Lallu said that the hike in MSP recently announced for the Rabi crop is the lowest of the history, which is only 2.6 per cent, while the input cost and the price of diesel and other essentials have gone up by over 60 per cent.He said that the Congress party would oppose the three farm legislations of the Central government tooth and nail, right from the streets to the House till these are not withdrawn. We will not rest till these draconian anti-farmer laws are not withdrawn, he added.At the press conference, UPCC president Mr Ajay Kumar Lallu said that from September 25, the state-wide protests will be held against these black laws, which will continue till October 31. He said that the press conference is being organised across the state today in protest against these black laws. From September 25 onwards, a campaign on social media will be launched against the attack on farmers and agriculture. He said that the Congress men along with farmers will gherao the Vidhan Sabha on September 28. He said that on October 2, which is the birth anniversary of Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi and Lal Bahadur Shastri Ji, ‘Satyagrah’ will be organised at all blocks to protest against the black farm rules. The Congress workers will carry on the awareness campaign among the people of the state against the BJP’s Centre and State governments’ anti-farmer and anti-people policies.AICC secretary Dhiraj Gurjar along with UPCC Vice President Pankaj Malik and Virendra Chaudhary were also present in the press conference.
