In a major move, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced on Friday that he will repeal all the three Central farm laws, against which the farmers have been protesting for a year now, particularly at the Singhu border in Delhi.
While addressing the nation at 9 am, PM Modi said, “Today I want to tell everyone that we have decided to repeal all three farm laws.”
The farmers have been protesting the Centres three farm laws since it had passed the Farmer’s Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, and the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill in 2020.
The government has formed a committee, comprising Centre, agri experts and farmers, to work on benefits for crop growers, the Prime Minister said adding, “I shall never stop from doing good work. What I did was for the country, what I will do will be for my country. Trust me, I will work more so that your dreams can come true. We’re also working to change the crop pattern.”
“Three farm laws were brought in specially to support small farmers. So that the get more options and better price for their produce,” he said.
“Every farmer in the country, kisan organisations welcomed farm laws, I thank all of them today. We are all in for supporting small farmers, for their progress our intent was pure, but we could not convicne some farmers. We tried our best to explain these laws to these farmers. we spoke, we discussed, we tried to convince them. Govt was even ready to re-work these farm laws. Lots happened in two years.”
PM Modi apologized to the farmers, saying, “Today I apologize with if some farmers did not understand what we wanted to do through farm laws.”
The three farm laws provide for setting up a mechanism allowing the farmers to sell their farm produces outside the Agriculture Produce Market Committees (APMCs). Any license-holder trader can buy the produce from the farmers at mutually agreed prices and this trade of farm produces will be free of mandi tax imposed by the state governments. It also allows farmers to do contract farming and market their produces freely.
On 26 November, the farmers’ protests would have marked the first anniversary of their relentless protest against the Central government’s three farm laws.
