Withdrawal of 3 “Corporate Agriculture” Ordinances among 9 demands Farmer Leaders reject PM Modi’s announcements as “Media Stunt”
On the anniversary of the historic Quit India struggle that led to India’s independence, farmer organizations under the banner of All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee (AIKSCC) launched a unified protest on August 9th with 9 demands including the withdrawal of three recent ordinances brought by the Centre, which were termed as the “Corporate Agriculture Ordinances”.
In response to the nationwide call, farmers and farmer organizations organized protest in a couple of thousand villages covering all districts in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. In view of the Corona lockdown restrictions, the protests were organized in a decentralized manner with farmers gathering in their own villages near panchayat offices, distributing pamphlets, shouting slogans and burning copies of the 3 ordinances and the proposed Electricity Bill which proposes to remove subsidies for farmers.
In Hyderabad, AIKSCC leaders and activists protested at RTC Cross Roads junction for an hour from 11.00a.m, holding placards, raising slogans and burning copies of the ordinances. The key participants included AIKSCC National Working Group members Kirankumar Vissa and Vemulapalli Venkataramayya; State convenors Pasya Padma, T.Sagar and Achutha Ramarao along with activists B.Kondal and Naveen Kumar from Rythu Swarajya Vedika, Venkat from Telangana Vyavasaya Karmika Sangham and others.
The leaders burnt copies of the 3 Agri Ordinances and Electricity Amendment Bill, demanding their immediate withdrawal. They said, “The ordinances are meant primarily to open doors to domination of agribusiness corporates over Indian agriculture. While they are framed as if they will give more freedom to farmers, in reality, the small and marginal farmers will be dominated by the big companies which are being removed from regulations or restrictions. Hence farmers across India are protesting today with the slogans “Corporate Bhagao, Kisani Bachao” and “Corporates Quit Indian Agriculture”.
Referring to today’s announcements by Prime Minister Modi on PM Kisan and Agriculture Infrastructure Fund as a “Media Stunt”, Kirankumar Vissa said, “Today’s announcements by the PM are media stunt to divert the media coverage from the farmers’ protests happening across the country today. His choice of timing at 11 am on a Sundy shows that the BJP govt has recognized AIKSCC’s massive farmers’ protest, but instead of addressing the 9 demands which have been sent through letters by hundreds of organizations to the PMO, he chose to make a show without substance. The PM Kisan scheme has already gone through 5 installments – there is no meaning in the PM making a show of the 6th Installment of Rs.2000, when in fact, the Centre is not making any additional payment to compensate for lockdown.The farmers have been demanding additional payment of Rs.10,000 per household as a compensation for the lockdown, but the PM has insulted the farmers by not only ignoring the losses of farmers and agri workers but also making a show of transferring Rs.2000 which is a pittance they were already entitled to.”
“The Agriculture Infrastructure Fund promises no grants or new budget allocation but only Rs.10,000 crores of new loans in 2020-21. Given that farmers already get Rs.12 lakh crores of agricultural loans from banks during the year, another 10,000 crores in the form of loans is no great favour by the Modi government. In fact, it exposes the government’s disconnect with reality, when farmers are demanding “Freedom from Indebtedness” through a Farmers Debt Relief Commission for which a Bill has already been placed in the Parliament by AIKSCC leaders,” said V.Venkatramayya.