Why Farmers of Punjab & Haryana protest to three ordinances that have been passed by the Centre?

Why Farmers protest in Haryana and Punjab?

Farmers Protest in Haryana

Which Three Ordinance passed by Centre?

The Farmers Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) The ordinance, 2020, the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Ordinance, 2020, and the Essential Commodities (Amendment)

Farmers fear that the ordinances will disrupt the mandi system of marketing and also hamper the selling of products at a minimum selling

Members of Bhartiya Kisan Union blocked National Highway-44 near Kurukshetra after a proposed protest rally of farmers and commission agents were foiled by heavy police presence at Pipli Grain Market in Kurukshetra District, Haryana. 

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Farmers and Labourer Protest in Punjab

 

 

Farmers in Haryana and Punjab have been protesting against three ordinances passed by the Centre. The protests began on Thursday when the Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) staged a rally and blocked National Highway 44 near Kurukshetra. The farmers were charged by the Haryana Police for not following Covid-19 prohibitory orders and damage of property.

 

Farmers expressed their outrage over the passage of these ordinances by the Centre which they called “anti-farmer”. They believe that the ordinances will lead to the destruction of the peasants and will expose them to the whims of the market forces, said BKU leader Gurnam Singh, as quoted by news agency PTI.

 

What are the three ordinances that have been passed by the Centre?

 

The Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) The ordinance, 2020, the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Ordinance, 2020, and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) The ordinance, 2020 are the three ordinances that the Centre had passed during the lockdown period. Read Also: NCRB Report 2020 on Farmer Suicide

Haryana farmers protest against three agriculture ordinances

 

The farmers are more concerned with the first one - The Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Ordinance, 2020. The ordinance seeks to “provide for barrier-free trade of farmers’ produce outside the markets notified under the various state agricultural produce market laws (state APMC Acts). The Ordinance will prevail over state APMC Acts.”

 

Farmers fear that this ordinance will end the Mandi system of selling of agricultural products and will lead to the sale of their products below the Minimum Support Price or the MSP.

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SAD appeals to Centre not to enact laws on farm ordinances till redressal of farmers’ fears

 

The ordinance states that farmers are allowed to trade products outside, “ the physical premises of market yards run by market committees formed under the state APMC Acts” and such trade “can be conducted in any place of production, collection, and aggregation of farmers’ produce including: 

(i) farm gates, (ii) factory premises, (iii) warehouses, (iv) silos, and (v) cold storages.”

 

Congress supports farmers in their demands

According to PTI, former Haryana chief minister and Congress leader Bhupender Singh Hooda said in a statement, “These ordinances are against the interests of farmers. If the government wants to implement them, then it should ensure that no purchases are made below MSP.” Read Also: Indian Godi Media and Fake News

 

The three-member panel meets Haryana farmers to hear grievances

 

Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Sunday while addressing a virtual press conference said that they will support the farmers’ demands. He said that the ordinances passed by the government will adversely affect the farmers as well as the foodgrain procurement processes. 

 

He also highlighted that the ordinances will disrupt “the agrarian foundation that has been laid carefully in the past 50 years.”

 

The central government seeks to bring these ordinances in order to bring structural reforms to the agricultural sector.

Farmers still feel that MPs should raise these issues in the Parliament’s monsoon session beginning Monday and clear any confusion regarding these ordinances.

Read Also: NCRB Report 2020 on Farmer Suicide

Read Also: Indian Godi Media and Fake News

Read Also: Punjab and Haryana Govts are going to be strict on Stubble burning