New Delhi: Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS)-affiliated farmers' body –– Bhartiya Kisan Sangh on Tuesday said that the new set of farm bills approved by the government are not for the farmers but for the traders.
While the passing of the farm bills in both the Houses of Parliament has sparked a major controversy in the country, Bhartiya Kisan Sangh has welcomed but at the same time has also put its suggestions and demands before the government.
In a special interaction with ETV Bharat, National Secretary, Bhartiya Kisan Sangh, Mohini Mohan Mishra said, "In all the three laws, the benefit of the traders is definitely visible, but for the benefit of the farmers, they need to be repaired or else the farmer will be trapped in the trap of the traders. The new regime will also give farmers the freedom to trade across states and will also empower farmers to turn into traders of their own products and be in control of the process."
The farmers' body has welcomed the 'one country one market' concept and abolition of the tax in mandis, but on the Essential Commodities Act, the Kisan Sangh suggested that it should not be abolished.
"The Indian Farmers Union has been demanding some changes since the ordinance was introduced. It is generally the custom of mandis that the produce of the farmer is denied in the name of the quality first and then it is bought at a cheaper price. There is resentment among the farmers over this issue, which should be removed," Mishra said.
"Another suggestion is that the details of companies and traders purchasing in the agriculture sector should be available on the government portal. According to the government-made law, any merchant who has a PAN card can make purchases, but our farmers' body demands that complete information about all traders should be available to both the government and the farmer," he said.
"The third suggestion is that the farmers association has put the payment of security under which farmers should get the facility of bank guarantee. The most important point for the Bhartiya Kisan Sangh is related to the MSP itself. Within or outside the mandi, the government should ensure that it is not purchased from the farmer at a lower price than the declared MSP. The government should make this part of the law," Mishra said.
"It would have been better if the government had negotiated with the farmers before bringing the law, but the government only discussed with the traders before bringing these laws. Today the business has to invest in farming but does not have to share the risk associated with it. The traders negotiated with the government and got the law made in their favour, but if the farmers had been negotiated, the farmers would have been able to put forward their views before the government," he added.
Meanwhile, Bharatiya Kisan Sangh refuted that there is no connection between affiliation with the RSS and Farmer Bill and Appealing to other farmer organizations, Mohini Mohan Mishra has said that along with the voice of the farmers, there is a need to raise voice against the farmers who have injustice in the mandis.
He said that when the Agricultural Laws were brought in the form of Ordinance, the first movement was done by the Kisan Sangh. Kisan Sangh activists decided not to agitate on the road, but in the coming months, the Bharatiya Kisan Sangh will discuss it and decide the future strategy.
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