Amarinder to get CMs of other states on board on farm-related ordinances issue

Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Wednesday said he would try to get chief ministers of other states on board to put up a united fight against the Centre on the issue of three ordinances related to the agriculture sector.

Singh is opposed to the Centre passing the Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Ordinance, the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Ordinance, and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Ordinance.

The chief minister's remarks came while he was chairing a video conference which was attended by several farmers' unions.

Leaders of major farmers' outfits of Punjab unanimously passed a resolution urging the Centre to reconsider and withdraw these ordinances, said a government release here.

The unions said the recently promulgated ordinances and the proposed amendments to the Electricity Act, 2003, are perceived as being strongly “anti-farmer”.

“These ordinances and the proposed amendment are also a direct attack on the federal fabric of the country and, therefore, must be withdrawn,” they said, in a unanimous resolution passed at the end of the video conference, according to the government release.

Underlining the need to protect Punjab and its farming needs, the chief minister has asserted that “we all must unitedly stand together notwithstanding our political affiliations.” He said he was fully prepared to take any steps necessary to protect the interests of the state and its farmers, as he had done over the Sutlej Yamuna Link water sharing issue.

Singh lashed out at the Centre for “undermining” the contribution of farmers and soldiers, pointing out that it had clearly “forgotten” the Kisan in the 'Jai Jawan Jai Kisan' slogans that had reverberated throughout the country when Punjab's farmers made India self-sufficient.

“With other states also producing food grains now, the central government seems to have decided not just to ignore but actually destroy the interests of Punjab's farmers, majority of whom are small,” the chief minister alleged.

Charging the Union government with trying to take away all powers from states, he said “we should raise a united voice to send a strong message to Delhi that we will not allow this to happen”.

“Everyone, even children, can see through the designs of the central government, which clearly wants to ruin Punjab, and even withdraw free power to the farmers,” Singh said.

Charging opposition SAD, a BJP ally in Punjab, with “double standards”, Singh said even without their support, the state, along with the Kisan (farmer) Unions, will unitedly fight the Centre's move to “ruin” the agriculture sector while destroying the federal character as enshrined in the Constitution.

He said he would try to get chief ministers of other states on board to put up a united fight against the Union government on this issue.

On a suggestion from Punjab Congress chief Sunil Jakhar, the chief minister said he would get the proposal of challenging the ordinances in court legally examined.

Singh warned against trusting the Centre on the issue of continuation of minimum support price, saying that notwithstanding the Union agriculture minister's claim that it would not end, one could not believe them.

In response to suggestions from various farmer union leaders, Singh said he would certainly get the issue discussed in assembly.

All the unions were of the unanimous view that the ordinances, which would lead to severe exploitation of farmers at the hands of corporates, had to be stopped as the state could ill-afford to leave its farmers at the mercy of traders, said the release.

Several of the representatives were in favour of convening a special session of the assembly to pass a resolution against the ordinances.

Bhupinder Singh Mann, national president of Bharti Kissan Union (Mann Group) said his organisation was fully with the state government in the fight against these ordinances.

Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee (Piddi Group) president Satnam Singh Pannu termed the Ordinances as “pro traders and corporate”.