JAC to back anti Farm Laws movement

By Our Staff Reporter
IMPHAL, Jan 19: Farmers’ Joint Action Committee Manipur organised an all Manipur farmers’ meeting on the contentious Farms Laws at Rupmahal Theatre, BT Road, Imphal today and adopted several resolutions regarding the Farm Laws that were stayed by the Supreme Court recently.
It resolved to support the demands of the All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordinating Committee against the Farm Laws and appealed to the State Government to constitute an APMC (Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC). All agricultural goods should be compulsorily procured by the Government, they said.
The meeting demanded effective implementation of the Conservation of Paddy Land and Wetland Act, 2014 and repeal of Conservation of Paddy Land and Wetland (Amendment) Act, 2019.
Other resolutions:
The all Manipur farmers’ meeting also discussed several issues   facing the farmers of the State. It resolved to appeal to the Government to repeal Loktak Lake Protection Act, 2006 and compensate the Loktak Project affected farmers.
It also demanded implementation of the MLR & LR (Manipur Land Revenue and Land Reforms) Act, 1960 in toto in valley areas.
Agricultural land and water bodies should be conserved and expanded.
No new dams should be constructed in ecologically important areas. Existing dams should be upgraded to facilitate irrigation and migratory fishes should be protected  by constructing fish ladders and passages.
Foothill regions of Manipur should be declared as community reserve forest areas.
All agricultural services (fertilizers, diesel, electricity etc) should be provided at subsidised rate to the farmers in time, resolved the meeting.
Former Vice Chancellor of Central Agriculture University, Imphal, M Premjit, who attended the meeting said agriculture and allied activities should be promoted in Manipur in order to make the State self reliant.
Agriculture sector has the potential to give means of earning income to people, especially unemployed youth, he said. Manipur Loumi Lup president N Singhajit appealed to the Government to address the plight of the farmers and act on their demands.
It may be noted that farmers have been protesting since November last year, against the three Farm Laws-Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020; the Farmers Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and farm Services Act 2020 and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020 enacted in September. The Supreme Court stayed the implementation of the Farm Laws and formed a panel to examine the laws on January 12.