“Those Opposing Farm Bills Are Misleading Farmers”: Shivraj Singh Chouhan

Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said that all those who are opposing the farm bills are “enemies of farmers.” He has accused the opposition of spreading myths on the farm reform bills.

Team Absolute|Bhopal Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on September 23 said that all those who are opposing the farm bills are “enemies of farmers”. Emphasising that agricultural reform bills will double farmers’ income, Shivraj said that those who are opposing the legislation are misleading the farmers. While speaking to news reporters, he said that these reform farm bills will help to empower the farmers and assure them proper wage along with social security. “Farm bills will double the income of farmers and empower them. Those who are opposing the bills are enemies of the farmers and are misleading them. Why are they (Opposition) supporting the middlemen?” Chouhan, slammed the opposition members for their absence from the Rajya Sabha when the farm bills, which assures proper wage, social security and health security to over fifty crore labourers, were being bought. He added that the absence of opposition leaders show that they are distanced from the public. Chouhan condemned the Congress for opposing the agricultural reform bills in the Parliament. He said, “MP BJP welcomes the agriculture bills passed in Rajya Sabha. The farmers of this country are very happy with this bill. But, I fail to understand why the opposition including Congress is opposing the bill. The Modi government is trying to make agriculture a viable and profitable sector. “60 percent of India’s population is dependent on agriculture. Bills like these will help the youth to understand and enter the (agriculture) sector. The reforms that are being brought will help farmers to sell their produce at the best price across the country. The Modi government stated that Minimum Support Price (MSP) will be continued along with all the market yards but Situation Assessment Survey (SAS) will not be collected from the farmers,” Chouhan added. He said that farmers should not be forced to sell their produce in the mandi where they pay commission. He said that Madhya Pradesh made changes before the Centre introduced the bills. “We are not shutting down mandis through this Bill, they will function and trade will go on through them, but we are providing options apart from mandi,” he said. He explained, “If in mandis, there is commission on vegetables of about 8 per cent, then the farmer has to make compromises. If someone buys his produce from his farm and the farmer can save this 8 per cent, why should we force him to go to the mandi?” He said that when there is no one in the middle and the farmer is getting more money, “why should anyone have a problem?”” The Bill is in the commercial interest of the farmer. It will encourage competition, so we should give it a chance,” Shivraj said. Notably, The opposition parties are protesting against the farm bills – Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020 and The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill, 2020. They are saying that the government is trying to hand over the farm sector to the corporate house and fear that they will not get a suitable price for their produce. On Wednesday opposition parties took out a silent protest march in Parliament complex against farm Bills. Carrying placards one of which read “Save Farmers, Save Workers, Save Democracy”, the opposition MPs marched from Mahatma Gandhi’s statue to Ambedkar’s statue on the premises. Lawmakers from the Congress, Left parties, Trinamool Congress, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, Rashtriya Janata Dal, Aam Aadmi Party, Samajwadi Party, and Nationalist Congress Party took part in the protest.