@ Vikas Sharma | Sr Journalist
New Delhi: National Farmer’s Day / Kisan Diwas was celebrated to commemorate the birthday of late Chaudhary Charan Singh. Kisan Diwas is a day to promote awareness among people about the importance of the farmers to the society and overall economic and social development of the country.
On this occasion All India Farmers Association organized a virtual meeting to celebrate Kisan Diwas along with some of the distinct leaders that included Dr. R.B Singh (Past President NAAS) and Member of National Farmers Commission (Swaminathan Committee), Shri. Pawan Payal, State President, Rajasthan, RKPA and President Sir Chowdhary Choturam, Bhartiya Kisan Samiti among others.
This year’s Kisan Diwas falls in the middle of the ongoing Kisan Andolan seeking withdrawal of the following the three farm reform ACTS that government had announced recently.
(i) The Farmers’ Produce, Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) ACT,
(ii) The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services ACT,
(iii) The Essential Commodities (Amendment) ACT.
Addressing the session Shri Sanjay Nath Singh, Working President & Secretary General, All India Farmers Association said, “Kisan Diwas is a day to remember the role of Indian farmers in the economy. We thank the government for all the initiatives and also thank our farmers. The ongoing agitation is an outcome of misinformation, doubts and apprehensions of the farmers because it is believed by the farmer’s community that due consultations did not take place with them on the BILLS. This has been well capitalised by the vested interests and political opportunism has added fuel to the fire. This agitation is now a political slugfest between vested interest against the Central Government, with farmers being the pawns. The new farm laws are not ‘Black Laws’. The new laws will surely benefit the farming community. There is a fear in few States that these new laws aren’t farmer friendly. If the earlier laws would’ve been good, why did over 3.34 lac farmer brothers resorted to suicide?
Shri Sanjay Nath Singh further added, “While the new Farm ACTs are good providing a growth oriented infrastructure There is a lot of scope of improvement in our Agri Laws. Farmer Unions had been asking for changes in the farm laws. Most of them have been addressed by the Government but some improvements are required to remove doubts and ambiguities. While MSP guarantee has been assured by the Government the same is being demanded as a legal guarantee. This Government may look into. Government may look into constituting a Regulatory authority to address farmers doubts on Contract Farming. All India Farmers Association agrees with the statement of our Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi in Kutch “The agriculture reforms that have taken place are exactly what farmer bodies and even Opposition have been asking over the years. Government of India is always committed to farmer welfare and we will keep assuring the farmers and addressing their concerns’.
Also speaking on this occasion was Dr. R.B Singh (Past President NAAS) and Member of National Farmers Commission (Swaminathan Committee), said that the celebration of Kisan Diwas underpins the contribution of farmers and farming in the livelihood security and prosperity of the nation, truly glorifying Jai Kisan. Even today, our Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi ji underscores that an Atmanirbhar Bharat can be built only on the shoulders of Atmanirbhar Kisan and has launched a series of farmer’s welfare schemes such as Doubling Farmers income, PM-KISAN etc., only a few days ago announcing the release of the 7th installment of the PM –KISAN”.
Hon’ble Union Minister of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare, Rural Development, Panchayati Raj and Food Processing Industries, Shri Narendra Singh Tomar in his letter to the Farmers on 18 December had clarified the apprehensions, particularly about MSP, APMC, dispute settlement, and, farmers’ right on his/her land. He also assured the commitment of the Government to serve the farmers to save farming to transform agrarian economy towards building a New India. The Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi Ji had appealed all, especially the farmers, to go through the Minister’s letter, and support the reforms, which are in the best interest of the farmers and the Nation as a whole.
Some of the important announcements made by Shri Narendra Singh Tomar, Minister of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Minister of Rural Development and Minister of Food Processing Industries recently are:
- The government is ready to give written assurance about MSP.
- States may be allowed to tax private markets outside APMC
- Farmers will also have the options to go to court to resolve any type of dispute
- States will have the right to register into farming agreements
5.No one can acquire the land of the farmers because this law does not allow transfer, sale, lease and mortgage of any tract of land of the farmers. - Contractors cannot make any permanent changes on farmers Land.
- Contractors cannot avail loans on any temporary structure constructed on farmer’s land
- Whatever be the situation, but the laws do not allow any process to seize the farmers land
