In a press release issued today, AIKMS has said that more than 1 lac tractors and 10 lac farmers and their supporters will enter Delhi for the Republic Day parade on 26th January. This is the decision of all Farmer Unions and preparations are in full swing. It is the responsibility of the Central Government to make proper arrangements and avoid chaos.
All India Kisan Mazdoor Sabha (AIKMS), in a press release issued today, denounced the Government’s proposal for Suspension of Farm Acts; terming it as a design to persist with corporate control of agriculture and forced displacement of farmers from land. The organisation claimed that on 26th January, Kisan Tractor Parade in Delhi, will see participation of more than 1 lac tractors; and it will be the biggest peoples’ spectacle in history. The responsibility to avoid any chaos on that day lies with the Delhi police under Union home Ministry.
Asish Mittal, on behalf of the the Central Executive Committee of AIKMS said, the Government proposal for Suspension of Acts and the Agriculture Ministers’ position that the Laws will not be repealed solves no problem of the farmers. He added that accepting suspension for any period means agreeing to their implementation on a postponed date and this is not acceptable to any farmer or their unions. Also, the Government offer is saddled with the formation of a committee. With the sword of these suspended laws dangling around the necks of the farmers, all discussions in the said Committee will involve only reforms in these Acts, which are neither meaningful nor acceptable, and hence has been rightly rejected, he said through the press statement.
AIKMS said that these laws are meant to promote only private big traders, exporters, big retailers in agriculture trade and to boost contract farming. It alleged that the union Government has already allocated Rs 1 lac crore for this purpose, and gradually, it will reduce subsidies on farm inputs, lessen food grain procurement, abolish MSP, and all these steps will lead to increased indebtedness of the farmers, lead to further rise in farmers’ suicides and ultimately cause their eviction from land. These laws will expose the poor and marginalised to depend on market, controlled by Corporates, for purchasing food.