15-hr farm law debate in House
Centre heeds to demands for debate in Rajya Sabha, Oppn urges govt to repeal legislation
NEW DELHI: The Rajya Sabha on Wednesday began a 15-hour discussion on the farmers’ agitation after the Centre heeded to the Opposition demand, with the latter unanimous in urging the Narendra Modi-led government to repeal the three farm laws while the government stuck to its stand that the laws were pro-farmers and the protest is part of a conspiracy.
Speaking during the discussion on the motion of thanks to the President’s address, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Bhuwaneswar Kalita, who moved the motion, said the agri laws were passed after extensive discussions in Parliament and opposition parties “should not make the farmers agitation another Shaheen Bagh”.
The BJP has alleged that the Opposition has stoked fears about the new farm laws just as they did with the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, or CAA, which seeks to fast track citizenship for persecuted minorities from neighbouring Muslim-majority countries. In December 2019, there were widespread protests against CAA with hundreds of people agitating at Delhi’s Shaheen Bagh; the BJP has likened those protests to the ongoing farmers’ stir at Delhi’s borders.
“The benefits of these important farm laws have started reaching more than 100 million people and small farmers. There has been no reduction in the rights and facilities of farmers. Through these agriculture reforms, the government has given new rights to farmers,” Kalita said.
BJP MP from Uttar Pradesh Vijay Pal Singh Tomar, who seconded the motion, said those criticising the farm laws are spreading misinformation as the new laws only stand to help small and marginal farmers. He said the laws were passed after extensive deliberations and there have been 12 expert committees in the past two decades on farm reforms.
After the Upper House was adjourned thrice on Tuesday following disruption and protest by the members of the Opposition who wanted the day’s business to be suspended to take up the issue at the farm
laws, it has now been decided that the farmers’ issue will be discussed during the motion of thanks to the President’s address and the total time allocated for this has been increased from 10 hours to 15 hours. Rajya Sabha chairman M Venkaiah Naidu agreed to suspend question hour on Wednesday and Thursday and the private member’s bills on Friday to make time for the discussion.
Speaking during the discussion, Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha and Congress MP Ghulam Nabi Azad said the government should bring a bill to restore statehood in Jammu and Kashmir and repeal the farm laws that a section of farmers are agitating against.
Azad said Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who was present in the House, is the only person who can find a solution to both the problems of Jammu and Kashmir and the farmers’ agitation. “The logjam between the farmers and the government is not for the first time; it has been going on for hundreds of years that farmers have had to struggle for their rights — sometimes against feudalism and zamindari and sometimes against the government,” Azad said.
He referred to the agitations that took place in pre-Independent India when the farmers’ took on the British government, forcing it to recall laws, and said governments have always had to bow before the demands of the farmers.
While condemning the January 26 incident during a tractor rally in the national capital when a section of farmers captured the Red Fort and raised a Sikh flag at its ramparts, Azad said, “The whole Opposition and the Congress party condemn the incident that happened at Red Fort; it should have never happened; it is against democracy; it is against law and order. We cannot support such incidents and those who were involved in this should be given strict punishment but at the same time those who are innocent should not be implicated.”
He urged the PM to set up a committee to find out who are the people who had gone missing on January 26.
Referring to the January 26 incident, Biju Janata Dal (BJD) lawmaker Prasanna Acharya said the role of the police and the local administration and the farmers’ leaders needs to be questioned. “This is the most unfortunate incident that happened after Independence in this country and nobody can appreciate this. My suggestion to the government is that they should institute a proper impartial inquiry, if possible by a sitting Supreme Court judge. The truth must come before the country... this is not a simple incident it’s unprecedented,” he said.
On the issue of the farm agitations, he said if the government has been assuring that the minimum support price (MSP) will not be scrapped, then it should be incorporated into the laws.
Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam’s (DMK) T Siva said his objections were not for the President but against the policy note of the government. “This government came to power with a slogan, minimum government maximum governance, but what we have experienced is minimum governance and maximum mishaps,” he said. He said the DMK had been pleading for more time to discuss the farmers agitation.
Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) MP K Keshava Rao said also said that if the government has agreed to retaining the MSP, then it should go into the book of law. “If we were to be little more democratic, little more accommodative, little more liberal in our approach and receptive in mind, things would not have come to this,” he said. Rao said the government must find a way to end the logjam by bringing the laws back to Parliament so that something can be done. “If there are amendments that can be made that are reasonable, then the ball should be brought back to this court.”
Communist Party of India (Marxist) MP Elaram Kareem said the government’s policies are intended only to appease corporate firms. He said farmer leaders have been booked under fake charges in connection with the “unfortunate” incident that took place on January 26.
“The government is trying to weaken the democratic protest by perpetrating violence and using force. Even water and electricity supply to the protest site have been disconnected by the government. The government should withdraw the farm laws immediately,” he said.
RC Prasad of the Janata Dal (United) supported the farm laws and said Bihar abolished the APMC production and procurement has gone up.
Samajwadi Party MP Ram Gopal Yadav criticised the government for showing insensitivity towards the farmers. He said that had the government agreed to send the bills to the standing committee, the crisis would have been averted. He also questioned why there was tight security on the Ghazipur, Singhu and Tikri border and said that security there was tighter than at Parliament and at the India-Pakistan border. “Are the farmers going to attack Delhi?” he said.