Three controversial farm laws will be withdrawn, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Friday. The farmers’ across the country have been protesting against these laws for the past year.
As part of the protests, on November 26, 2020, the farmers marched to the national capital Delhi, and they were blocked at the borders. Since then, the farmers started a sit-in protest at all major borders of Delhi, including Singhu, Tikri, Gazipur and Shahjahanpur.
The announcement from the prime minister came on the Guru Purab festival while addressing the nation.
“Maybe something was lacking in our tapasya, which is why we could not convince some farmers about the laws. But today is Prakash Parv, not the time to blame an3yone. Today, I want to tell the country that we have decided to repeal the three farm laws,” said Modi.
However, the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM), an umbrella body of 40 farm unions, said they welcome the move “and will wait for the announcement to take effect through due parliamentary procedures.”
“The Prime Minister of India Mr Narendra Modi announced the Government of India’s decision to repeal all three anti-farmer, pro-corporate black laws first brought in as Ordinances in June 2020. He chose to announce this on Guru Nanak Jayanti,” read the statement from SKM.
“Samyukt Kisan Morcha welcomes this decision and will wait for the announcement to take effect through due parliamentary procedures. If this happens, it will be a historic victory of the one year long farmers’ struggle in India. However, nearly 700 farmers have been martyred in this struggle. The central government’s obstinacy is responsible for these avoidable deaths, including the murders at Lakhimpur Kheri,” the statement added.
“SKM also reminds the Prime Minister that the agitation of farmers is not just for the repeal of the three black laws, but also for a statutory guarantee of remunerative prices for all agricultural produce and for all farmers. This important demand of farmers is still pending. So also is the withdrawal of the Electricity Amendment Bill. SKM will take note of all developments, hold its meeting soon and announce further decisions,” the statement further added.
