Farmers union moves SC against 3 farm laws, wants them scrapped

Thousands of farmers have been protesting against these laws over the past few weeks, demanding that the government repeal them

The Bhartiya Kisan Union on Friday moved the Supreme Court, asking it to quash three farm laws passed by the Parliament in September.

The petition, filed by Bhartiya Kisan Union's president Bhanu Pratap Singh, claimed that the three laws will make farmers "vulnerable to corporate greed", according to ANI.

Calling them "arbitrary", the petition alleges that the laws were passed without adequate discussion.

The plea said: "These acts are illegal and arbitrary, because, these acts would pave way for cartelisation and commercialisation of the agricultural produces and if allowed to stand, we are going to completely ruin our country as the corporates can, with one stroke, export our agriculture produce without any regulation, and may even result in famines."

The plea has argued that the new farm laws are unconstitutional and anti-farmer and these laws will make farmers position vulnerable to corporate greed of multinational companies. "That these laws would dismantle the Agriculture Produce Market Committee (APMC) system intended to ensure fair prices for farm products", said the plea, insisting that these laws were passed in haste.

The plea said the farmers are indeed afraid that the corporate houses will twist and turn words to wind them in an unfavourable contract just like money lenders. "And feelings of the farmers are that it would be very hard for a farmer to always understand the ramifications of the contract that he is signing", added the plea.

The plea argued that the amendment to the essential commodities act would facilitate black marketing and these new laws attack the very foundation of the agriculture fabric of the nation. "That without agriculture produce market committee acting as a protective shield around the farmers, the market would ultimately fall to the corporate greed of multinational companies who are more profit "oriented" and have no care for the condition of the poverty-stricken farmers which are many times coming on the stage of starvation due to natural calamity", added the plea.

Thousands of farmers have been protesting against these laws over the past few weeks, demanding that the government repeal them.

The apex court had decided to hear pleas of RJD MP Manoj Jha and DMK Rajya Sabha MP Tiruchi Siva, and one by Rakesh Vaishnav of Chhattisgarh Kisan Congress against the three farm laws.

As part of their plan to intensify agitation, farmers rallying on the Ghazipur entry point on the Delhi-Uttar Pradesh border said on Friday that they would hold dharnas at toll plazas and also submit memorandums to district authorities across the country.

Bharatiya Kisan Union leader Rakesh Tikait, who along with his supporters are rallying at Ghazipur border, told IANS: "On December 12, we will protest at the toll plazas across the country."

The protest would be against the central government and the corporates.

"On December 14, all District Magistrates across the country will be handed over memorandums by our supporters to be forwarded to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to seek repeal of the three new farm laws," he added.

He asserted that the protesting farmers would also hold 'Kisan Kranti March' at 11 am daily to lodge their protests till the Centre did not agree to their demands.

Banners and posters regarding various farmers' issues would be put up at the Ghazipur border to make the public aware of the matter.

(With inputs from agencies)

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