India’s Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha pass bill to repeal three farm laws

INTERNATIONAL DESK: Both Houses of Parliament of India on Monday approved the repeal of the three controversial farm laws by voice votes on the opening day of the winter session as the government stonewalled the opposition demand for a debate.

The Farm Laws Repeal Bill, 2021, which sought to rescind the three laws passed last year to ease rules around the sale, pricing and storage of farm crops, was taken up by Lok Sabha which passed it within minutes and, thereafter, it was introduced in Rajya Sabha and approved by voice vote. The whole exercise was completed within two hours.

The bill now awaits the assent of President Ram Nath Kovind for the formal withdrawal of the three contentious laws against which farmers have been protesting for the past year.

In both Houses, opposition parties led by the Congress demanded a discussion over the repeal bill but couldn’t get it initiated.

In Rajya Sabha, Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar said “there is no need for a discussion” as the opposition parties had been seeking repeal of the laws and the government was now doing it.

The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020, the Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020 had triggered a massive agitation by farmer bodies, especially in Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana.

Though the implementation of the law had been stayed by the Supreme Court, farmer bodies have been squatting on roads leading to the national capital from Uttar Pradesh and Haryana for just over a year now.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had on November 19 announced the decision to repeal the laws – the biggest policy rollback since he led the BJP to power in 2014.

The laws are being repealed just before assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh and Punjab, where it was feared that farmer protests may dent prospects of the BJP.

However, the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) – the joint body of farmer unions leading the current protests – has refused to end the agitation and asked the government to immediately resume talks on six demands, including a legal guarantee for the procurement of crops at MSP.

The other demands were sacking and arrest of Union Minister of State for Home Ajay Mishra in connection with the Lakhimpur Kheri incident, withdrawal of cases against farmers and building of a memorial for those who lost their lives during the agitation. (The Economic Times)