FARMERS BURN COPIES OF FARM LAWS TO CELEBRATE ‘HOLIKA DAHAN’

NEW DELHI: The farmers protesting at Delhi borders for months now celebrated ‘Holika Dahan’ on Sunday by burning copies of the Centre’s new farm laws, the Samyukta Kisan Morcha said.

In a press statement, the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM)—a joint front of farmer unions—said that protesting farmers celebrated Holi at the borders and they will continue their agitation till the farm laws are repealed and a separate law on minimum support price (MSP) is enacted.

The SKM said it will observe “FCI Bachao Diwas” on 5 April where offices of the Food Corporation of India (FCI) will be gheraoed from 11 am to 5 pm across the country.

“Several attempts are being made by the government to end the MSP and PDS system indirectly. For the last several years, the budget of FCI has been cut. Recently, the FCI also changed the rules for procurement system of crops. In the General Assembly of the United Kisan Morcha, it has been decided that FCI Bachao Divas will be celebrated on the coming April 5. Under this, FCI offices across the country will be gheraod from 11 am to 5 pm. We appeal to the farmers and the general public that it is a matter of future for both food grain growers and food eaters, so take part in this protest on this day,” the statement said.

The farm unions also condemned the passage of the Haryana Recovery of Damages to Property during Disturbance to Public Order Bill, 2021 by the Haryana Assembly, saying it aims to suppress agitations.

“Under this, the loss of private or public property made by anyone anywhere during any movement will be compensated by the agitators. Losses can be recovered from those planning, encouraging, or supporting in any form. According to the law, no court will have the right to hear the appeal, the alleged loss can be recovered by confiscating the property of the agitators. Such a law has also been enacted by the Yogi government of Uttar Pradesh and it has been misused in a big way. This is a step of utter dictatorship and it is sure to be misused against the present peaceful peasant movement. We strongly oppose it,” the SKM said in the statement.

“It contains dangerous provisions that would surely prove fatal to democracy. This law has been brought to end this peasant movement and to escape from the legitimate demands of the farmers,” it added.

With agency inputs