Consider MSP for other crops: Congress leader Viplove Thakur

Dharamsala, November 19

Former Rajya Sabha member and senior Congress leader Viplove Thakur has termed the announcement made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to withdraw three farm laws as a victory of the peaceful protest by farmers of the country. She said the Centre should also consider giving the MSP on crops other than wheat and paddy.

Viplove said the farmers’ agitation that had been going on for the past one year illustrated that the Gandhian path of ‘satyagraha’ (peaceful protest) was still the most powerful method against a totalitarian government. However, it was sad that the Centre decided to withdraw the laws after more that 700 farmers lost their lives in the agitation.

She said the government should now consider the demand of MSP on other crops as well, besides wheat and paddy. “The MSP as a legal guarantee will help the apple farmers of Himachal. This year, the apple farmers have suffered losses. The paddy farmers of the state also suffered huge losses as Punjab did not let them sell their produce in its mandis and the FCI closed its centres just after the byelections,” she added. — TNS