Farmers burn copies of draft agri policy, warn of devastating impact

Farmers today burnt copies of the new draft agriculture policy in several towns around here, including Maachiwara, Samrala, Khanna and Amloh. Copies were burnt throughout the state on a call given by the Kissan Mazdoor Morcha.

Harinder Singh Lakhowal, president of the Bhartiya Kissan Union (Lakhowal), said if the agriculture policy was implemented, it would prove to be devastating for farmers and agricultural workers as it did not ensure minimum support price (MSP) or a minimum wage for farmers and workers, respectively.

“The primary objective of the policy is to fundamentally change the current agricultural marketing system, replacing it with a single national market, aiming to create a central structure for corporate control over agriculture,” said HS Lakhowal.

Bharpoor Singh from BKU (Sidhupur), while burning the draft copy at Maachiwara, said the policy was more dangerous than the three farm laws repealed in 2021. “It will erode the federal rights of the state governments,” he said.

Paramjeet Singh further added that there was no mention of ensuring a remunerative minimum support price (MSP) for farmers, which was a central recommendation of the National Commission on Farmers (NCF), chaired by MS Swaminathan. The farmers’ unions have decided to organise a tractor on January 26. Besides a legal guarantee on the MSP for crops, they are demanding a debt waiver, a pension for farmers and farm labourers, no hike in the electricity tariff, the withdrawal of police cases and ‘justice’ for the Lakhimpur Kheri victims.