'Take back 'black laws', fresh ones can be framed with stakeholders'

Farmer rests beside a tractor along a road blocked by police to stop farmers from marching to New Delhi to protest against the central government's recent agricultural reforms, at the Delhi-Haryana state border in Kundli. Pic/PTI

A day after the farmers unions rejected the proposal of the Centre for amendments in the new agricultural laws, farmer leader from Punjab Boota Singh appealed to the government that the laws should be taken back and a fresh start made taking into account all the stakeholders.

"We only want that these laws should be taken back as they would cause great loss to the farmers, they are nothing but black laws and death warrants for not only the farmers but also the labourers, small traders and the whole nation," said Boota Singh Shadipur, President, Bharatiya Kisan Manch.

Singh said that if the government really wants to frame a law, it should start afresh and hold talks with the farmers; but first and foremost the newly passed laws should be taken back.

"We want to appeal to the Prime Minister that he should leave this stubbornness and take back these laws, the laws can be made afresh with the cooperation and unity of all the stakeholders," he said.

Meanwhile, the protests against the newly passed agricultural laws entered the 15th day on Thursday.

The number of protesters at Delhi-Haryana's Singhu border is swelling with each passing day.

Unhappy over not getting a satisfactory solution to their demands, the agitating farmers on Wednesday announced that they will block the Delhi-Jaipur highway on or before December 12.

After blocking the Singhu, Tikri, Chilla and Ghazipur borders connecting Delhi to Chandigarh, Haryana, Noida (Uttar Pradesh) and Ghaziabad (Uttar Pradesh) respectively, the farmers will now block the Delhi-Jaipur highway that connects the national capital to Rajasthan.

The move will disrupt Delhi's supply chain from another direction as the farmers have planned to block National Highway 48 that starts from Delhi and connects with Rajasthan via Haryana.

The decision was taken in the farmers' meeting at Singhu border where thousands of farmers are braving the winter chill under open skies since November 26.

The Delhi Police has beefed up security in the area with the addition of several more layers of barricading ahead of the meeting to prevent any untoward incident.

Delhi's Police Commissioner is keeping a close watch on the law an order situation as the protesting farmers have threatened to enter the national capital.

The farmers are protesting against the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020; Farmers Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020 and The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act 2020.

The laws allow farmers to sell their produce at places apart from their designated APMC market.

They also aim at allowing contract farming under which they can enter into supply agreements with private firms for remunerative and pre-decided prices.

However, the farmers believe the new farm laws would pave the way for the dismantling of the minimum support price system (MSP), leaving them at the mercy of big corporates.

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