Advertisement

Updated March 15th, 2021 at 09:54 IST

Meghalaya Governor Satya Pal Malik supports Farmers protest, questions Centre's motive

Meghalaya Governor Satya Pal Malik on Sunday supported the farmers' agitation against the Centre's three farm laws and questioned the Central Government

Reported by: Swagata Banerjee
Meghalaya Governor
| Image:self
Advertisement

Meghalaya Governor Satya Pal Malik on Sunday supported the farmers' agitation against the Centre's three farm laws and urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah not to offend them. Malik said if the Centre gives a legal guarantee of the minimum support price (MSP) for crops, farmers will relent. The Meghalaya Governor also claimed to have prevented the arrest of farmer leader Rakesh Tikait when he heard rumours about it.

Adding that no one can save the country where farmers and soldiers are not satisfied, Malik said, “None of the laws are in favour of farmers. Wherever one goes, there is a lathi-charge."

Malik added, “They are getting poorer day by day while the salary of government officials and staff increases after every three years. Whatever is sown by a farmer is cheap and whatever he buys is expensive. They do not know how they are becoming poor.”

“I belong to a farmer’s family. Hence, I can understand their problems. I will go to any extent to solve the problems of farmers,” he said.

Farmers' agitation 

Thousands of farmers in India, mostly from Punjab, Haryana, and western Uttar Pradesh, have been camping at several Delhi border points since November 28 last year, demanding a repeal of the farm laws and a legal guarantee on Minimum Support Price (MSP) for their crops. So far, 11 rounds of talks have taken place between the government and farmer leaders with both sides hardening their positions. In the last round of talks, the government offered to suspend the laws for 1-1.5 years and form a joint committee to find solutions, in return for protesting farmers going back to their respective homes from Delhi borders.

Republic Day's tractor parade on January 26 in New Delhi, which was to highlight the demands of the farmer unions to repeal three new Agri laws, had dissolved into anarchy on the streets of the city as tens of thousands of protesters broke through barriers, fought with police, overturned vehicles and hoisted a religious flag from the ramparts of the iconic Red Fort.

(With Agency Inputs)

Advertisement

Published March 15th, 2021 at 09:54 IST

Your Voice. Now Direct.

Send us your views, we’ll publish them. This section is moderated.

Advertisement
Advertisement
Whatsapp logo