Protesting against the three farm laws brought by the Central Government, Jharkhand Pradesh Congress Committee (JPCC) organised a huge Tractor cum Farmers’ Rally at Gandhi Maidan in Hazaribag to show its strength.
The farmers and the party workers reached the venue by riding on tractors and bullock carts. Few minutes after the beginning of the Rally, a large number of Tractors gathered at the venue.
Addressing the farmers present at the venue, JPCC In-Charge, RPN Singh, mocking at the Central Government, said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi wants to fulfill the promise to double the income of farmers by increasing the price of diesel. Farmers’ tractors and pumps run on diesel so the Prime Minister is increasing the prices of fuel so that the farmers could double their income, he added.
Speaking as Chief Guest, Singh said that under the first law, the limit of grain storage has been legally abolished, which will increase the hoarding of grains and crops. “The businessmen will buy crops at a lower price, store it and earn maximum profit by selling at a higher price in the market. This will not benefit the farmers,” he added.
Speaking on the occasion JPCC Chief Rameshwar Oraon said that there is no culture in India except agriculture. “BJP wants to destroy the culture of the Country. Congress has been with the farmers before and after independence. In 2014, the BJP has started weakening the laws of favoring the farmers’ as soon as they come to the Center. The farmers of Jharkhand understand the pain of farmers sitting on agitation on the Delhi border. The agitation will continue in favour of farmers till the laws are taken back,” he added.
“The second law will destroy agricultural markets. The APMC and Agricultural Produce Procurement System will be destroyed. Now private mandis will decide the prices of crops. Farmers will not get the minimum support price (MSP) of crops. Employment in the agricultural sector will end,” said Oraon.
Addressing the gathering on the occasion the Convener of the program cum Agriculture Minister Badal said that the third law will facilitate the entry of capitalists, private investors into commercial agreements with farmers on their terms and the farmers will be made laborers in their own fields. “If there is any dispute in the agreement, the farmers will have to visit the courts to settle their dispute. Farmers will be exploited by entangling them in legal claims. In this way, the farmers will not be benefited from these three laws but will be exploited,” said Badal.
Rajya Sabha member Dheeraj Prasad Sahu, MP Geeta Koda, former Union Minister Subodh Kant Sahay the party MLAs like Uma Shankar Akela, Amba Prasad, Mamta Devi, Rajesh Kachhap, Kumar Jai Mangal Singh alias Anup Singh, Purnima Niraj Singh, Naman Vixel Kongadi, Dipika Pandey were also present on the occasion.