In address to the Nation today morning Prime Minister Narender Modi on sacred occasion of the Gurpurab today announced the repeal of the three controversial farm laws, aiming  it as a master stroke ahead of the UP Polls and the coming polls in Himachal,  Haryana and Punjab and other states next year.

Modi said three farm laws were brought for the welfare of the farmers mainly India’s 10 crore small and marginal farmers, but the government, despite its all efforts and clear intension,  failed to convince a section of the farmers,  who is on strike for the last more than one year.  

Prime Minister on the sacred occasion of the Gurpurb said  the three farm laws will be repealed. The constitutional process to withdraw the laws will be brought in parliament session that will start  this month end and the farm bills will be repealed, he said categorically.

Prime Minister’s announcement was hailed by the farming communities but the political analysts termed  it as a  move aimed at “rebuilding bridges with the Sikh community and Jats of western UP, Haryana and Punjab,  where they had joined hands with other farmers bodies to oppose the three farm laws.

The united Kisan Manch which was spearheading agitation had opposed BJP in elections in West Bengal, where BJP got a rout from the Mamata Banerjee’s TMC party early this year.

Modi further said  the  Committee of  state and central government, farmers, agricultural scientists,  experts from the agriculture will be put in place to bring about an exhaustive plan to promote the zero-budget agricultural farming in the country.

Prime Minister plead to the agitating farmers in Singhu border in Delhi who have been on protest  there for the  last more than one year, to go back home  with their family and in the field to take farming to new level.

He said the zero budget farming, minimum support price, more scientific crop pattern, e-nam mandis  and rural agricultural infrastructure will be developed to make agriculture a profitable enterprise for the farmers.

Admitting some shortcomings in the three farm laws Modi  said the farm laws were brought for the welfare of the farmers and many farmers’ organizations, agri-scientists and experts had welcomed the laws. “But there might have been some shortcoming in our Tapsya (endeavour) that we could not convince section of farmers and hence the farm laws stand withdrawn”, Modi said.  

Invoking the mantras of Guru Nanak Dev Ji and Guru Gobind Singh ji, Narender Modi  tried to strike cordial chord with the Sikhs including BJP’s estranged  allies Akalis in Punjab,  saying that he has seen the plight of the farmers from a very close range and understand their challenges, aspirations and dreams very well.

He said the government worked  with zeal and gave top priority  to development of agriculture in the country. About 80 per cent farmers (10 crore farmers)  are small having less than 2 hectare of land.  It is this small piece of land on which they feed their family. This land has shrunk further due to the partition in the family, he said.

Prime Minister said the government has kept Beej,   Bima, Bazaar and Bachat as cornerstones of the agricultural development.  The government give good quality seeds,  and  as many as 22 crore soil health cards have been given to the farmers  to increase  their agricultural production and’ income.  

The  Fasal Bima Yojna brought more farmers under the insurance net,  and insurance of  Rs 4 lakh crore was given to the farmers for the last four years.  The farmers were brought into the Bima and Pension net  and the government has transferred directly Rs 1, 62000 crore in their bank accounts, Modi said.

He said the rural marketing infrastructure was developed and the farmers got increased  MSP in procurement. As many as 1000  e-nam markets were set up  and mandis were modernised  to sell farmers' produce  at profitable prices, he said.

Prime Minister said  Agricultural budget was increased five- fold  to Rs 1.5 lakh crore.  One lakh village storage facility was set up and farmers got agricultural implements. The  crop loan was doubled to Rs 16 lakh crore and fish farmers got kisan credit cards, he said.  

He said government works with an open-mind and clear intension for uplifting the farmers. “ I will work harder for the farmers  and help realize  their dreams”, he said.

(Kuldeep Chauhan is Editor and Administrator, HimbuMail)