INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Farmers across several states are up in arms against the three contentious farm-sector bills tabled by the government in Parliament --
Farmers' Produce Trade And Commerce (Promotion And Facilitation) Bill; The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance
and Farm Services Bill; and Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill.Various farmers' organisations staged protests against the bills over
fear that they will no longer get paid at the Minimum Support Price (MSP)
They have expressed apprehension that the three bills will pave the way for dismantling the minimum support price system, leaving them at
the "mercy" of big corporates.Extensive protests spread across states like Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh in the past few days
Chattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel had warned that soon the protest won't be limited to only these states.IN HARYANARecently, the
Bharatiya Kisan Union's Haryana unit announced that it will hold a state-wide protest against the Centre's farm bills from 12 pm to 3 pm on
Sunday even as Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar appealed for deferring the stir and invited them for talks
The Union said that its members will block roads for three hours.The farmers are also joined by the 'arhitiyas' or commission agents during
their protest.Protests held in Patiala, Punjab
(Photo: PTI)"We have planned traffic diversions
Whoever is coming from Delhi, Kurushketra, we have diversion plans for them
We have sufficient security force from headquarters
Most of the personnel have been deployed in Ambala because they plan to go to Delhi from here," ANI quoted police officer Abhishek Jorwal
from Ambala as saying.The Haryana Police was conducting patrolling of the national and state highways and important roads in various parts
of the state, including Ambala, Kurukshetra, Sonipat, Jind, Sirsa, Fatehabad, Hisar and Bhiwani.IN PUNJABStepping up their agitation against
the farm bills, the Punjab Youth Congress, meanwhile, is also taking out a 'tractor rally' from Punjab to Delhi against the Centre's
The rally started from Mohali district in the morning and was moving on the national highway towards Ambala.In Punjab, farmers held a
protest against the Centre on Saturday
As they burned an effigy, the demonstration led to traffic jam.Thirty-one farmers' bodies in Punjab on Saturday had joined hands to make the
September 25 "bandh" against the agriculture-related Bills introduced in Parliament by the Centre a success.A call for a 'rail roko'
agitation has already been given by the Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee from September 24 to 26.Among the major farmers' unions which
supported the "bandh" call are the Bharti Kisan Union (Krantikari); Kirti Kisan Union; Bharti Kisan Union (Ekta Ugrahan); BKU (Lakhowal);
BKU (Kadiyan); BKU (Sidhupur); BKU (Doaba) and BKU (Dakunda), said Krantikari Kisan Union president Darshan Pal.A leader of the farmers,
Gurbachan Singh Chabba, told news agency ANI: "We are protesting and have burned the effigy of the government
If these bills, which are against the farmers of Punjab, are passed in the Parliament then the farmers will be destroyed and the Mandi
system as well.""These bills are anti-farmer and should not be passed in the Rajya Sabha
The bills are for enabling loot by big corporates and companies
We are protesting against this," Gurbachan Singh Chabba further said.A farmer, Gurlal Singh, said: "The decisions of the government have
been against the people be it note ban, GST and now farm ordinances."In the wake of a protest call by farmers in neighbouring states, the
Delhi Police on Sunday said it has deployed its personnel at border areas as a precautionary measure
Two companies of forces have been deployed by the Delhi Police near Ashok Nagar -- Ghazipur side, the police said, adding that there are no
protesters at the border as of now.Widespread demonstrations were held against the Centre's farm bills
(Photo: PTI)IN RAJYA SABHA TODAYThe Congress, BJP and Shiromani Akali Dal party (SAD) are among other Opposition parties to protest against
the bills.As a discussion ensued over the agricultural bills in Rajya Sabha on Sunday, the BJD opposed their passage and requested the
government to send the bills to a Select Committee for examination.Opposition parties led by the Congress said that they will not sign on
the "death warrant" of farmers
Backing the farmers, the Opposition charged that the two bills are aimed at benefitting big corporates and ending the minimum price based
procurement by the government.READ | Harsimrat Kaur Badal quits Modi govt: Why the farm bills are controversialShiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut said
that a special session should be called to discuss the farm bills that have farmers protesting especially in Punjab and Haryana.Sanjay Raut
also said that if the bills can ensure that no farmer will commit suicide, it would be the biggest achievement of the government."Can the
Government assure the country that after the passing of the agriculture reform Bills, farmers' income will double and no farmer will commit
suicide?," Raut said."PM has said that the government is not ending the MSP system
So, did a union minister resign on the basis of a rumour?" Sanjay Raut said.Meanwhile, National convener of AAP and Delhi Chief Minister
Arvind Kejriwal appealed to all non-BJP parties to vote against three agriculture-related bills in the Rajya Sabha, saying farmers in the
Earlier, Kejriwal had said his party will vote against the three bills and termed them "anti-farmer".Akali Dal's Naresh Gujaral said while
the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has done a lot for the farmers in the past six years, his party "would suggest the farm bills be sent to
the select committee for further examination".WATCH | Are agriculture bills anti-farmer or reformist? Harsimrat Kaur Badal, the food
processing minister from the Shiromani Akali Dal party (SAD), resigned had from the government last week.Earlier, KK Ragesh (CPI), Derek
O'Brien (TMC), Trichi Siva (DMK) and KC Venugopal (Congress) moved resolutions for sending the two bills to a select committee of the House
for consideration before they are taken up for passageTHE THREE BILLSThe Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation)
Bill, 2020 seeks to give freedom to farmers to sell their produce outside the notified APMC market yards (mandis)
This, the government says, is aimed at facilitating remunerative prices through competitive alternative trading channels.Farmers will not be
charged any cess or levy for sale of their produce under this Act, according to the government.Farm bills were tabled in Rajya Sabha on
(Photo: PTI)It will open more choices for farmers, reduce marketing costs, and help them get better prices
It will also help farmers of regions with surplus produce to get better prices and consumers in areas with shortages at lower prices.The
Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill, 2020 seeks to give farmers the right to enter into
a contract with agribusiness firms, processors, wholesalers, exporters, or large retailers for the sale of future farming produce at a
pre-agreed price.It seeks to transfer the risk of market unpredictability from farmers to sponsors.Tomar said this legislation guarantees
cultivators price they negotiate at the time of sowing itself.A third bill, the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill, 2020 that seeks to
remove commodities like cereals, pulses, oilseeds, onion, and potatoes from the list of essential commodities and will do away with the
imposition of stock holding limits, is to be moved separately.(With inputs from PTI)
