‘Request with folded hands’: 10 things PM Modi said on farm laws, protest

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday requested all the political parties to stop misguiding farmers on the farm laws cleared by the government in September this year and said that games are being played for political gains.

PM Modi also said that by clearing the farm bills, he just wants to ease the life of farmers. He was addressing a state-level ‘Kisan Kalyan’ event in Madhya Pradesh’s Raisen district, wherein Chief Minister Shivraj Singh will transfer the relief amount of Rs 1,600 crore into the bank accounts of nearly 35.50 lakh farmers for the damaged kharif crops.

The prime minister’s address comes amid staunch rejection of three farm laws by thousands of farmers who have erupted in protest in and around the national capital. The farmer’s claim that the laws cleared by the government will reduce their earnings and give a leverage to corporations.

As the protests enter their 22nd day, there has been no signs of resolution in the standoff between farmers and government even after five rounds of talk.

Here are the 10 things PM Modi said on the laws and agitated farmers:

- I am happy that farmers all over the country have not only embraced the new agricultural reforms but are also rejecting those who are spreading. I will ask the farmers who still have a little apprehension to think once again.

- I say this with confidence that there is no reason for mistrust in the recently introduced agricultural reforms, there is no room for lies.

- Our government did the work of implementing the report by Swaminathan Committee. If we had to remove the MSP, then why would the Swaminathan Committee report be implemented?

- Our government is so serious about the MSP that it announces MSP every time before sowing. This makes it easier for the farmers because they also learn first about the MSP of their crop.

- The previous government had purchased about 1,700 lakh metric tonnes of paddy from farmers in its five years. Our government has purchased 3,000 lakh metric tonnes of paddy from farmers in its five years at MSP.

- Our government has not only increased MSP, but has also bought a lot from farmers on MSP. Its biggest advantage has been that more money has reached the farmers’ account than ever before.

- Another example of how the people who used farmers for politics is farming of pulses. Recall the time of 2014, how the country faced a pulses crisis. Pulses used to be sourced from abroad amidst chaos in the country.

- Today, farmers growing pulses are also getting more money, pulses prices have also come down, which has directly benefited the poor. Those who could not give MSP to the farmers, nor could buy it on the MSP, they are misleading the farmers on the MSP.

- Another lie related to agricultural reforms is being spread about the APMC i.e. our mandis. What have we done in law? We have given freedom to farmers in the law, a new option. In the new law, we have only said that whether the farmers sells in the market or outside, it is their choice. Now, the farmers can sell their produce only where they get profit.

- Swaminathan Commission report is biggest proof of how ruthless these people can be. These people sat on Swaminathan Commission report recommendations for 8 long years. They ensured that their government doesn’t have to spend much on farmers, so they kept the report under wraps.