Farmers block trains to protest against new laws
Union Budget 2021 touches the life of the common man. The budget takes care of the poor who are at the botom of the pyramid. This budget instils a new hope for a new India: Goyal
Thousands of protesting farmers blocked trains on Thursday by siting on railway tracks in parts of northern India to press their demand for the repeal of new agricultural reform laws that have triggered months of massive protests.
Samyukta Kisan Morcha, or Joint farmers’ Front, organised four-hour blockades of trains at two dozen locations.
Television showed protesters siting on railway tracks in Hapur, Modinagar, Kurukshetra and several other places in Haryana, Punjab and Utar Pradesh states. railway authorities halted train movements in the affected areas.
Authorities deployed thousands of security forces at railway stations and tracks to prevent any violence.
The protesters carried banners and flags denouncing the three laws approved by Parliament in September, which they say will leave them poorer and at the mercy of corporations.
“The farmers have decided that the struggle to get these three laws repealed is connected to our lives, connected to our future, connected to our children and connected to our daily bread.
Either we will survive, and our assets will survive, or the country won’t be able to get by as they will not get anything to eat,” said Hari Prakash, a 70-year-old farmer who was blocking a track on the outskirts of New Delhi.
Rakesh Tikait, a farmer leader, said they will not end their protests until the government repeals the laws.
The protests turned violent on Jan.26, India’s Republic Day, when a group of farmers riding tractors stormed the 17th century Red Fort in New Delhi.
Hundreds of police officers and scores of farmers were injured and one protester died.
Tens of thousands of farmers have been camping on the outskirts of New Delhi since November. Eleven rounds of talks between the farmers and Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar have failed to produce any breakthroughs.
The government says the laws are necessary to modernise Indian agriculture.
It has offered to delay their implementation for 18 months to deal with farmer objections. That’s not acceptable to the farmers, who are demanding their repeal. The farmers believe the legislation will devastate their earnings by ending guaranteed prices for wheat and rice and force them to sell to powerful corporations at cheaper prices.
Tomar said the laws will lead to more private investment in agriculture and raise earnings by seting up warehouses where farmers can store crops and sell them when prices are favourable.
Union Minister Piyush Goyal on Thursday said that central government is giving utmost priority to the welfare of farmers, migrant workers and consumers and the Union Budget 2021 takes care of the people who are at the botom of the pyramid.
While addressing a press conference here, Union Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution, Railways and Commerce & Industry Piyush Goyal said this budget has special provisions for the poor, farmers and migrant workers, those who provided support to the nation in difficult times.
He said the budget of 2021-22 under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi expresses the confidence of India and all set to spread a new wave of “Atma Nirbharta” across the globe.
Goyal said, “Union Budget 2021 touches the life of common man. The budget takes care of the poor who is at botom of the pyramid. This budget instils a new hope for new India.” The Food Minister said that MSP payment to the farmers remained at an all time high during 2020-2021 as Rs 75000 crore were paid as MSP for wheat procured in the last season benefiting 43.46 lakhs farmers while Rs1.72 lakh crore were paid as MSP for paddy to 1.54 crore farmers.
Stressing on digitisation and modernisation in PDS, the Minister said that procurement and distribution is being done in the most transparent manner.
Goyal applauded the efforts of the both Departments under Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution during COVID-19. He expressed his happiness that the departments successfully implemented schemes for distribution of free foodgrains to NFSA beneficiaries and Stranded Migrant labourers during this period.