The All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee (AIKSCC), an umbrella body of over 250 farmer and farmworkers’ organisations, has announced a “Corporates Leave Farming” campaign across the country on August 9 against the Centre’s recent ordinances on agriculture and farmer issues.
In a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the AIKSCC has expressed disappointment at the Centre’s recent announcements on ‘agri reforms package’, which, it claims, will not solve the problems of farmers, instead will exacerbate them.
“We want the Central government to repeal the anti-farmer ordinances. All the three ordinances — the Agricultural Produce, Commerce and Trade (Promotion and Facilitation) Ordinance, 2020; The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Ordinance, 2020 and the Essential Commodities Act (Amendment), 2020 — should be repealed immediately. These are anti-farmer and will only result in reduced crop prices for farmers and undermine seed security even further ... food security will be eroded as government intervention is eliminated. These ordinances promote corporate control of the Indian food and farming systems, and will encourage hoarding and black marketing, in addition to exploitation of farmers,” said the letter.
‘One nation one MSP’
Jagmohan Singh, general secretary, BKU (Dakaunda) in Punjab, who is a part of the AIKSCC, said farmers did not want ‘one nation one market,’ they seek ‘one nation one MSP’. “In Punjab, we will hold a motorcycle march in support of our demands on August 9. Ensuring remunerative prices should be made a legal right of every farmer. The Electricity (Amendment) Bill, 2020 should be withdrawn,” said Mr. Singh.
“We also want the government to compensate farmers for loss of vegetables, fruits, crops, milk and poultry produce due to hailstorms, unseasonal rains and COVID-19 lockdown in February-June, 2020; to reduce diesel price and protect the land and forest resources of tribals and farmers,” he added.
