Telangana CM calls for support to farmers bandh on December 8

Naveen S Garewal
Tribune News Service
Hyderabad, December 6

The ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) has come out in support of the agitating farmers in the country by announcing complete support for the farmer-led bandh on December 8.

The TRS party chief K Chandrasekar Rao (KCR) appealed to his party cadre to actively take part in the nationwide bandh opposing the three Farm Acts passed by the Union government.

He also asked the people to support the farmers who have been selflessly providing food to the nation.

KCR told the media, that all farmers in the country were against the agricultural laws passed by the Union government this September.

He said, that Telangana had voted against the laws in Parliament as they were harmful to farmer interests and called, that they are completely repealed.

Telangana has witnessed some protests by farmers associated with the All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee (AIKSCC).

It has also sent memorandums to the TRS government requesting for amendments that would negate the three union farm laws, however, the state government was yet to respond. They want the TRS Government to react in the same manner as Punjab, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh.

Telangana has seen small scale protests by farmers across various districts, including Hyderabad, where farmer organisations urged the Telangana government to consider amendments that will negate the three farm laws.

In October some farmer organisations had asked the chief minister and Agriculture Minister S Niranjan Reddy to enact amendments to the Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) Act.

The farmers want legislation that would bring all transactions at unregulated market yards or mandis under the purview of the APMC Act.

Kiran Vissa of the Rythu Swarajya Vedika, said: “All farmer organisations in the state welcomed the TRS government’s stand of rejecting the three Union farm bills (in Parliament). But they should consider passing a resolution in the Assembly, a symbolic gesture against the laws. The TRS government should consider negating the farm laws as Punjab, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh governments had done. The Maharashtra government is also considering negating the bunion farm laws through amendments”.

The three farm laws that the farmers are protesting against are the Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020 and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020.