PM Modi repeals three controversial farm laws

The move comes just a couple of months before the elections in states including Uttar Pradesh and Punjab

In a victory to farmers, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday announced a rollback of the three farm laws with a public apology for his inability to explain the reforms, which were “as pure as light”, to them.

In a televised address, Modi said the three farm laws will be repealed in the upcoming winter session of Parliament and announced a committee with nominees from the Central and State governments to examine farm sector issues such as zero-budget farming, change in crop pattern, and transparency in deciding the minimum support price for farm produce.

Track live updates of farm laws scrapped here

The sudden announcement by the Prime Minister came after electoral reversal faced by the BJP in the recent assembly bypolls and ahead of the elections to five state assemblies, including Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand, where the farmers’ protests against the three laws could upset the BJP’s applecart.

“I apologise to the countrymen and wish to state truthfully and with a pure heart that perhaps there could have been shortcomings in our penance that we were unable to convince the farmer brothers of the truth that was as clear as the light of a lamp,” Modi said.

Invoking the birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev, the founder of Sikhism, Modi appealed to the farmers, who have been protesting against the three laws on the borders of Delhi, to return to their homes, farms and families.

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“Let us make a new beginning and move forward,” he said.

The decision to roll back the farm laws also marks the second occasion when the government has blinked on issues related to farmers. In 2015, the contentious land acquisition bill was given a quiet burial after it ran into opposition.

The Samyukta Kisan Morcha, an umbrella body of farmers’ organisations has been protesting at the borders of Delhi since late November last year, demanding a rollback of the Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020; Farmers' (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020; and Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020.

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The Modi government had reached out to the protesting farmers who held 11 rounds of talks with a ministerial panel led by Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar and a separate meeting with Home Minister Amit Shah. The talks were stalled since January 22 as farmers stuck to their stand of the repeal of the laws, while the government offered to amend them.

The farmers’ agitation took a violent turn after a tractor rally organised by them on Republic Day went out of hand with large groups of farmers storming the Red Fort.

In his 18-minute address to the nation, Modi touched upon the pro-farmer initiatives of his government such as income support scheme PM-KISAN, neem-coated urea, soil health card, micro-irrigation and making available good quality seeds to farmers.

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“We not only increased the MSP but also created a record number of government procurement centres. The procurement of the products made by our government has broken the records of the last several decades”, he said.

The Prime Minister said the three farm laws were enacted as part of initiatives to improve the condition of the farmers in the country.

“The objective was to strengthen the farmers of the country, particularly small farmers and help them get the right price for their produce and maximum options to sell the produce.

Earlier, many governments had brainstormed on this, Modi said adding that many farmers' organisations welcomed and supported it. The Prime Minister expressed his gratitude to the organisations, farmers and individuals who supported the move.

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