Farmers’ victory, says Congress

By Our Staff Reporter
IMPHAL, Nov 19: Reacting to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s announcement that the controversial three Farm Laws would be repealed in the winter session of Parliament,  Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) has remarked that the particular announcement is a victory for the farmers who have been protesting against the laws for one year, three months, one week and three days.
Speaking to media persons at Congress Bhavan here this afternoon, MPCC vice-president Kh Devbratta  said that the three Farm Bills were passed forcibly by the BJP-led Central Government     without giving any attention to the repeated warnings issued by a large section of the country’s farmers.
The farmers rejected the Bills which were passed by the BJP Government allegedly in the interest of big corporate houses. The farmers warned that the Bills would severely undermine their interest and seriously affect the country’s agriculture economy.
A large number of farmers have been protesting against the three Bills close to the borders of Delhi since August 9 last year without ever returning home, Devbratta said.
Speaking at a function of Guru Nanak Jayanti this morning, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that the three laws would be repealed. The announcement was a big defeat for the Modi Government, said the MPCC vice-president.
The protracted protest staged by a large number of farmers against the three Bills was supported by Congress Party, Shiromani Akali Dal and Aam Aadmi Party, Devbratta said.
He also hailed the farmers’ victory over the Central Government who struggled for more than one year against the three Farm Laws.
But the Prime Minister’s claim that the three Bills must be repealed as no understanding could be reached between his Government and the protesting farmers has no ground.
In the by-election held recently, BJP was uprooted from some States like Himachal Pradesh, Devbratta said.
According to a report published by the Food and Agriculture Organisation, 82 per cent of India’s total population are dependent on farms and farm incomes for survival.
Quoting the same report, Devbratta said that 72 per cent of the country’s total population are farmers and 50 per cent of all the voters are farmers.
Considering these facts and figures, BJP feared a huge defeat in the Assembly elections of five States which are due in the next two/three months and this would mean a complete rout of BJP in the Lok Sabha election of 2024.
It was these considerations which compelled the BJP Government to repeal the three Farm Laws, Devbratta said.
The Prime Minister made the announcement to repeal the Farm Laws not because he has any sympathy for the farmers who have been protesting for more than one year, he said.
MPCC general secretary L Tilotama, S Jiten and Pramodini were also present at the press meet.