Senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday said minimum support price and market committees form a safety net for farmers and any attempt to remove it would weaken the very foundation of the nation.
Addressing the Chhattisgarh Foundation Day function through videolink, the former Congress president said that he has been reading reports of farmers’ suicides almost on a daily basis.
“But we should not accept it. We should protect farmers, labourers and small businessmen and stand with them,” Rahul said.
He lauded the Chhattisgarh government for passing legislation to negate the impact of the new farm laws enacted by the Modi government.
Rahul said that he was pained to see farmers in distress due to the three farm sector laws passed by the Modi government.
“Farmers and labourers are the foundation of the country. Villages are the foundation of cities while farmers and labourers are the foundation of villages,” Rahul said.
He said that there could be some shortcomings in the Agriculture Produce Market Committees (APMC), but destroying them was not a solution.
“If we destroy the entire system, like it was done in Bihar in 2006, then the country’s foundation will be destroyed, which is why we have been fighting against the three new central farm laws,” Rahul said.
Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel released the third instalment of cash benefit under the Rajiv Gandhi Kisan Nyay Yojna to 18.38 lakh farmers in the state.
Baghel also launched the Swami Atmanand Government English Medium School scheme, aimed at providing education in the English language to students across the state.
The Chief Minister also dedicated mobile hospital-cum-laboratories in 30 urban slum areas under the Chief Minister Urban Slum Health Scheme.
Rahul said that English medium schools would open up a whole new world of opportunities for youth.
“Hindi and our local languages have their own place. But English language gives global opportunities,” the former Congress president said.