Congress MP T.N. Prathapan has filed a petition in the Supreme Court against Farmers› (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020. The Thrissur MP has sought a declaration of the provisions of the mentioned Act, along with the related notifications, as illegal, unconstitutional, and void.
The petitioner said he is also a farmer and well-versed with the difficulties being faced by the farmers due to various governmental policies and added that the farm bills were passed hastily by Parliament. He has alleged that the Farmers› (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020 is violative of Article 14 (right to equality), 15 (prohibition of discrimination) and 21 (right to life and liberty) of the Constitution.
The Act is violative of conditions discussed in Directive Principle of State Policy enshrined in Part IV of the Constitution of India wherein it is the duty of the state to ensure a decent standard of life to all workers. This Act will open the doors to unchecked exploitations of the farmers, who are unaware of their basic rights, the plea said. The petitioner said, as per the Section 2(e), which is the definition clause of the impugned Act, a «farmer» means an individual engaged in the production of farming produce by self or by hired labour or otherwise, and includes the Farmer Producer Organisation. It does not identify the labour/tiller/ share cropper working in the farm as a farmer, which is in essence discriminatory as it undermines their effort and further, it leaves out the rights of the labour/share cropper who is actually doing the hard labour to help produce/irrigate the farm.
