Farmer Movement: Members Included In The Committee Selected By The Supreme Court – Have Already Shown Support For The New Krishi Laws
Delhi, January 12, 2021: The Supreme Court on Tuesday ordered a stay on all three farm laws, giving a jolt to the Modi government. Along with this, the court also formed a committee, which will submit a report about the laws.
The committee will have BKU President Bhupinder Singh Mann, agricultural economist Ashok Gulati, Dr Pramod Kumar Joshi of the International Food Policy Research Institute and Anil Dhanwat of the Shetkari organization in Maharashtra.
Questions have been raised on the members since the order of the formation of the committee. The committee formed by the Supreme Court has many members who have already supported the government’s agricultural laws. Some of them had expressed their support by meeting Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar and some had given a statement in favor of the laws. However, in the meantime, the farmer leaders have not yet clarified whether they will oppose the committee created by the court or convey their opinions about the alleged shortcomings of the laws.
What did Bhupinder Singh Mann say?
Committee member and BKU President Bhupinder Singh Mann has previously shown his support for the farm laws. On December 14, farmers from Haryana, Maharashtra, Bihar, and Tamil Nadu met the Agriculture Minister. He had sought to enforce the laws with some amendments. This was met by the Agriculture Minister under the banner of All India Kisan Coordination Committee (AIKCC), a farmer organization. It is currently headed by Bhupinder Singh Mann. Mann had said at the time that reforms were needed to make agriculture competitive. However, some discrepancies should also be corrected to protect the farmers.
Apart from this, Mann wrote a letter to Agriculture Minister Narendra Tomar in which he said, “We favor the three laws passed under the leadership of PM Narendra Modiji today to free India’s agriculture system, I have come forward to support the government. We know that in some parts of northern India and especially in Delhi, some elements involved in the ongoing farmer movement are trying to generate misgivings among farmers about these Krishi laws.”
Other members of the committee have also supported the laws
The members of the committee, Anil Dhanwat of a Shetkari organization, said last month that the central government should not withdraw the farm laws. However, some modifications should be made keeping in mind the demand of the farmers. The president of the organization, Anil Dhanwat, said that the government did not talk to the farmers in detail before passing the laws, due to which misinformation was spread.
He said, “There is no need to withdraw these laws, as it has completely increased the opportunities for the farmers.” At the same time, another member of the committee, Ashok Gulati, wrote an article in the Indian Express about these Laws. He stated that they are meant to provide more choice and freedom to buyers, thereby creating competition in agricultural marketing. This will encourage private investment, which will help reduce waste and reduce price volatility.
Congress also raised questions about the committee
Political parties have also started questioning the members of the committee formed by the Supreme Court. Although no leader’s statement has come yet, Congress has raised questions on the Twitter handle. Madhya Pradesh Congress has written on Twitter that all the members of the committee constituted by the Supreme Court have already supported the farm bill. In addition, it contains links to some articles and news that are associated with committee members. The tweet also accused the government of conspiring against the farmers.
At the same time, soon after the order of the court, the spokesperson of the Indian Farmers Union and the farmer leader Rakesh Tikait also said that they will negotiate with the farmers and decide who will be the members of the committee, and only then will they make a decision on their strategy for the future.
