Protests with tractors in Silchar against the farm bills; Rally from Annapurna Ghat to Rangirkhari

A protest rally with tractor was organised in Silchar earlier today as a mark of protest against the three farm bills passed by the parliament of India. The procession started marching from Annapurna Ghat and walked with a tractor till Rangirkhari in Silchar.

“Desh Bachao Krishi Bachao” slogans were raised by the agitators protesting against the farm laws. The protesters alleged that by enacting these laws, the Modi Government wants to make way for capitalists to run a monopoly in the Agricultural Industry. According to the protesters, crony capitalism will make life hell for local farmers.

Protests with tractors have brought the country’s capital to a standstill. Meanwhile, cellular internet has been banned in most parts of Delhi. Protesters have taken over historical Red Fort and have hoisted flag from ramparts.

As explained by Times Now, the farm laws they are protesting against are:

The Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020:

This Bill allows the farmers to sell their produce outside the Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) regulated markets. The APMCs are government-controlled marketing yards or mandis. So, the farmers clearly have more choice on who they want to sell. The government’s logic, economic expert Gurcharan Das writes in TOI, is that the Agricultural Produce Marketing Committee (APMC) is an obsolete institution from an age of scarcity, meant to protect the farmer but has now become his oppressor, a monopoly cartel fixing low prices for the farmers’ produce, forcing distress sales.

The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill, 2020:

This Bill makes provisions for the setting up of a framework for contract farming. The farmer and an ordained buyer can strike a deal before the production happens.

According to PRS India, a “Standing Committee on Agriculture (2018-19)” observed the APMC laws needed reforms as cartelization had begun to crystallise due to a limited no. of traders in APMC mandis. Therefore the following law was passed in September 2020.

The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill 2020:

The Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Ordinance, 2020 allows intra-state and inter-state trade of farmers’ produce beyond the physical premises of APMC markets.  State governments are prohibited from levying any market fee, cess or levy outside APMC areas.