Chidambaram slams Centre, says little knowledge is dangerous

Congress leader P Chidambaram on Saturday slammed Centre for criticising Congress' 2019 manifesto which promised abolition of Agriculture Produce Marketing Committee (APMC) Act. The former union minister added "A little knowledge is dangerous, little reading is even more dangerous."

New Delhi: Congress senior leader and former union minister P Chidambaram on Saturday, lashed out at the ruling party which claimed that Congress had mentioned abolition of Agriculture Produce Marketing Committee (APMC) Act in its 2019 manifesto.

"A little knowledge is dangerous, little reading is even more dangerous." the Congress leader added.

In his statement, Chidambaram alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP spokespersons have deliberately and maliciously distorted Congress' 2019 manifesto.

He said that the farmers produce huge surpluses in various agricultural products, notably wheat and rice. "The Congress governments built a food security system, consisting of MSP, public procurement and PDS, that culminated in National Food Security Act, 2013," Chidambaram elaborated.

Explaining the election manifesto of Congress in 2019, Chidambaram said, "We promised to promote farmers' companies or organisations to enable them to access inputs, technology and markets. We promised to establish farmers' markets with adequate infrastructure and support in large villages and small towns to enable the farmers to bring their produce and sell them."

He further added, "Farmers need multiple accessible markets and different choices. Congress' proposals would have given them that. Congress Manifesto promises on repealing the APMC act and making trade in agricultural produce free, this would be a natural sequel in course of time. While our promise is clear, the Modi government has surrendered to the corporates and traders."

The former finance minister alleged that the two farm bills passed in Lok Sabha, on Thursday, do not mention that the price which farmers will get from the private purchasers, will not be less than MSP. He also said that the bills undermine only regulated market available to farmers today, without creating thousands of alternative markets that will be accessible to the farmers.

"The bills assume perversely that the farmer and private purchaser have equal bargaining power. They do not. The small farmer will be at the mercy of the private purchaser," he stated.

Congress is repeatedly raising objections over the passage of Farmer's Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020 and the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill, 2020 that the Center had introduced in June to replace the earlier ordinances.

Chidambaram also asked the other political parties to join hands to oppose these bills and to ensure that these will not become a law in their present form.

The sacked spokesperson of Congress party, Sanjay Jha backed Center's stand on farm ordinances, by tweeting, "Dear fellow Congress-people, one must oppose PM Modi whenever justified; that's par for the course. But let's not make it a mindless obsession. On APMC, there is a simple test: Does not APMC abolition end monopoly, cartels and so boost farmer's income? If yes, back the bills."