Kisan Mazdoor Body Union to hold “RAIL ROKO” agitation from 24th to 26th September

At a time when the country is reeling under the impact of Coronavirus pandemic, the Central government has passed two contentious farm sector bills in the Lok Sabha upsetting crores of farmers across the country.

At a time when the country is reeling under the impact of Coronavirus pandemic, the Central government has passed two contentious farm sector bills in the Lok Sabha upsetting crores of farmers across the country. On the other hand, it also came under massive fire from the Opposition parties.

Taking to Twitter, former finance minister and senior Congress leader P Chidambaram on Friday lashed out at the Narendra Modi govt over the new bills, saying that passage of the laws is a huge blow dealt by the Centre to States’ rights and federalism.

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“Two farmer-related Ordinances have been approved by the Lok Sabha. Farmers of Punjab and Haryana are on the streets protesting. Captures the distance between the people and the government (sic)!” he said in a series of tweets. Adding that, “States were not consulted. The passage of the laws is a huge blow dealt by the BJP government to States’ rights and federalism.”

The Congress leader further stated that farmers in Tamil Nadu have told him that they are selling paddy at Rs 850 to private traders against an MSP of Rs 1150. “State government must explain,” he said.

Kisan Mazdoor body to hold ‘rail roko’ agitation

A day after the bills were passed in Lok Sabha, a farmers’ body has announced that they will protest Centre’s move by staging a three-day ‘rail roko’ agitation across the state from September 24-26.

“We have decided to hold a rail roko agitation from September 24 to 26 against the three agriculture ordinances,” news agency ANI quoted Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee General Secretary Sarwan Singh Pandher as saying.

The committee had also staged a protest in Amritsar earlier this week against the ordinances.

“Those who are saying the ordinances will help the farmers are lying. On the contrary, we will become the pawns of corporates. We appeal to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to listen to us. And request all farmers throughout the country to come out and stand against these ordinances,” Pandher had said earlier.

The agriculture reform bills passed in Lok Sabha 

Lok Sabha had on Thursday passed two bills related to ‘reforms’ in agriculture marketing after a debate with Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar stating that the legislation will “end licence raj” and farmers will be free to sell their agricultural produce as per their own choice.

BJP ally Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), along with several opposition parties including the Congress, strongly opposed the two Bills.

Earlier on June 5, President Ram Nath Kovind had promulgated Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion & Facilitation) Ordinance 2020, Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Ordinance 2020 and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Ordinance Act, 2020.