Victory of farmers' willpower, struggle; hope Centre draws lessons: Sonia Gandhi on repealing of farm laws

Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi on Friday termed farmers' protest as "Gandhian agitation" and said that it is a victory of the "willpower" and "struggle" of 62 crore farmers.

Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi on Friday termed farmers' protest as "Gandhian agitation" and said that it is a victory of the "willpower" and "struggle" of 62 crore farmers. She further hoped that the Centre draws lessons for the future and "shed its pride and arrogance" and work towards policies for farmers' welfare.

"After almost 12 months of Gandhian agitation, today the struggle and willpower of 62 crore farmers of the country have won. Today, the sacrifices of more than 700 farmer families have paid off, whose families have laid down their lives in this struggle for justice. Today truth, justice, and non-violence have won," Gandhi said in an official statement after the government announced repealing of three Central agricultural laws. The Prime Minister earlier in the day assured that the constitutional measures to repeal the laws will begin in the Winter session of Parliament.

Slamming the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) led central government, Gandhi said, "I hope that the Prime Minister and the BJP government will leave their pride and arrogance and pay attention to implementing the policies of farmer welfare, will ensure MSP and before taking any such step in future, will take the consent of the state governments, farmer organizations and opposition parties." She further accused the BJP of "attacking the agricultural sector" for the last seven years and said, "Whether it is a matter of discontinuing the bonus given to the farmer as soon as the BJP government is formed, or there is a conspiracy to end the fair compensation law of the farmer's land by bringing an ordinance. Whether it is the refusal to pay the farmer the cost plus 50 per cent profit as promised by the Prime Minister, or the huge increase in the cost of diesel and agricultural products, or the attack of three black anti-farming laws."

Gandhi cited figures of the government's NSO and said that the average income of a farmer is Rs 27 per day while the average debt on each is Rs 74,000. "The government needs to think again on how farming can be made profitable in the true sense and how farmers get the right price for their crop by way of MSP," she added.

The Centre had last year passed contentious farm laws that prompted nationwide protests. These included-- 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. (ANI)

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