As farmers protested against the farm laws in the national capital, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday sought to allay their apprehensions insisting that the reforms have opened new opportunities for farmers, who have already started benefiting from the initiatives.
“These reforms have not only broken shackles of farmers but have also given new rights and opportunities for them,” the prime minister said in his monthly ‘Mann ki Baat’ radio talk and listed out instances where farmers have benefited from the new laws.
The prime minister narrated three instances where farmers have benefited from the innovation in the field of agriculture as well as the recently enacted farm sector reforms.
He narrated the incident where a Maharashtra-based farmer Jitendra Bhoi sought action under the new farm laws to recover the dues owed to him by traders who had bought his corn crop.
He said if the payment is not made to the farmer, the new law has a provision that asks the SDM of the area to address the complaint within a month.
“This correct and complete knowledge of the law became the strength of Jitendra ji. Whichever field, correct knowledge, free from misconceptions and rumors can act as a force multiplier for every individual,” the prime minister said.
Modi also narrated the stories of Mohammad Aslam, who runs a farmers’ producer organisation in Rajasthan and Virendra Yadav, who returned to his village in Haryana from Australia to start a stubble management firm.
The prime minister said Aslam shares updates on prices of farm commodities with farmers on WhatsApp and helps them make an informed choice on selling their produce, while Yadav has traded farm stubble worth Rs 2.5 crore, earning a decent profit for himself and helping farmers as well.
Modi urged students of agriculture to visit farmers and make them aware about the innovations in farming and the recent agricultural reforms.
“This way, you will become stakeholders in major reforms underway in the country,” the prime minister said.