Rajasthan's Newly Introduced Farm Bills Receive Mixed Response From Farmer Leaders

Rajasthan has become the second Congress-ruled state after Punjab to counter the Centre’s new farm laws as it tabled three Bills in the state Assembly on October 31. The farmer leaders of Rajasthan have given a mixed response to the bills, slated to be passed on Monday.

"We welcome the move of Congress government to have introduced three bills in the Assembly to negate the impact of the farm laws enacted by the Centre recently. One of the bills promises that harassment of farmers to invoke action against the traders not accepting delivery of farm produce was much needed or not making a payment within three days from the date of receipt of delivery," Amra Ram, Vice President of All India Kisan Sabha told Outlook.

However, at the same time, he highlighted that all three bills do not make MSP mandatory for purchase by individuals, which has been one of the key demands made by farmers. "The amendment bills do not make MSP mandatory for purchases made by individuals but have only made mandatory for contract farming. In all three bills there is no mention of fixing minimum support prices (MSP) of agriculture guidelines as recommended by the National Commission on Farmers (NCF), also known as Swaminathan commission," added Ram, former CPI (M) MLA and farmer leader of Rajasthan.

 State Parliamentary Affairs minister Shanti Kumar Dhariwal introduced The Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) (Rajasthan Amendment) Bill, 2020; The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services (Rajasthan Amendment) Bill, 2020; and, The Essential Commodities (Special Provisions and Rajasthan Amendment) Bill, 2020, in the Assembly on Saturday. The house was adjourned and the bills will be likely passed on Monday.

 The provisions included in the three of the six amendment bills introduced in the assembly are the protection of the interests of farmers, including sale or purchase of a crop, imprisonment of three to seven years for harassment of farmers, or a fine up to Rs 5 lakh,

 The move comes exactly ten days after the Punjab Assembly adopted a resolution against the farm laws and unanimously passed four bills to counter the Centre’s contentious legislation.

"Rajasthan may have followed the footsteps of Punjab, but the bills passed in Punjab has made MSP mandatory for the sale and purchase of wheat and paddy recently. Such provision is not mentioned in the bills here," Dr. Sanjay Madav, Joint secretary of Akhil Bharatiya Kisan Sabha told Outlook.

Farmer protests will continue in Rajasthan

The Rajasthan farmer leaders also claimed that the amendment bills introduced by the Congress government in the state will not stop them from protesting against the centre's farmer bills.

The three central farm bills - the Farmer’s Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020, the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill, 2020 and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill, 2020 - were passed by Parliament recently. Subsequently, President Ram Nath Kovind gave his assent to the Bills.

"We will be observing protest on November 05, where farmers from across the state will block all major highways. And on November 26 and 27 we will be heading towards Delhi as a mark of protest against new farm laws", said Tara Singh Siddu, general secretary of Rajasthan Kisan Sabha.

 Meanwhile, the small protests against the central government's farm bills continue to take place in Hanumangarh and Ganganagar districts of Rajasthan. "Farmers in Rajasthan have been protesting for the last many months. The amendment bills are usually an eyewash. The main aim remains to roll back the centre's farm law," said Ranjit Singh Raju of Gareem Kisan Mazdoor Samiti in Ganganagar district.

 BJP to oppose the bills

The deputy leader of Opposition Rajendra Rathore said that the BJP will oppose the Bills. "We will debate in the house and prove that the centre's farm bills are farmer-friendly. We shall not let congress government pass these amendment bills".

The BJP state president Satish Poonia has also called the amendment bills introduced by Congress in the Rajasthan assembly as baseless. "Instead of paying attention towards the poor and marginalised sector, CM Ashok Gehlot is diverting the attention by misusing farmers," Poonia said.