Govt must withdraw the agri laws
Chaudhary Ajit Singh, president of Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD), former union minister and prominent leader of Jats and farmers in western Uttar Pradesh, speaks to Brajendra K Parashar on the current farmers’ agitation against the three agriculture laws and the situation that arose after the violent protests in New Delhi on January 26.
Here are excerpts:
How do you see the farm unions’ agitation on Delhi borders against the three agriculture laws?
The country’s farmers have risen against the Modi government. They are convinced that the intention behind the three agriculture laws is not to promote their interests but to benefit the corporate, and rightly so. The media may not be showing it but the agitation is not confined to just Delhi borders. Similar agitations are being organised in many other states
There is always scope for reforms in any sector. I can also understand that every government has the prerogative to make new laws or make suitable changes in the existing ones as per the requirement of the time and situation. But it is always advisable to do so after due discussions with stake holders, especially when a legislation has the potential to hugely affect life and livelihood of masses, like the three contentious agriculture laws have done. Tell me was there any justification for bringing the ordinances to impose laws on farmers? The Modi government also scuttled the traditional legislative process by not sending the three Bills to the select committee for discussions. The way the ordinances were promulgated and later converted into the laws with same hurry created doubts in the minds of farmers. The outcome of enacting laws without prior consultation, debate and discussion is for everyone to see.
Now what is the way out?
The government must immediately withdraw all the three hurriedly enacted laws, respecting the general sentiments of farmers, and initiate a fresh process to bring new laws, if needed at all, after due consultation with farmers. There should be no problem in doing this. The government is unnecessarily making the three laws an issue of bloated ego.
That is fine, but how can you justify the violence by a group farmers and hoisting of another flag at the Red Fort in Delhi?
Nobody can justify this act and we all condemn it. But the question is why the police allowed the protesters to enter the Red Fort, making no visible effort to stop the person from climbing atop the pole to hoist the flag. There are allegations that he was a BJP man. Otherwise, there was no arson, no loot and shoot-out during the agitation. In the Red Fort area the police did not act the way it acted in other places that day.
What is wrong with the three laws and do you think there is no need for reforms in agriculture marketing?
What message would you like to give to farmers?
My only message to farmers is “you must remain united, stay on course and run the agitation peacefully. Victory will be yours because you are on the right path.”