India PM Narendra Modi repeals controversial farm laws

Monitoring Desk, 19-Nov; Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday addressed the nation at 9 am. In a stunning U-turn, the prime minister has decided to repeal all three agricultural reform laws that have sparked almost a year of massive protests by farmers. He said his cabinet will take the decision next month.”We have decided to repeal all three farm laws. We will start the constitutional process to repeal all the three laws in the parliament session that starts at the end of this month,” Modi said in an address to the nation.The announcement came on the Gurupurab/Prakash Utsav festival, when Sikhism founder Guru Nanak’s birthday is celebrated in the country. “Guru Nanak ji had said ‘Vich Duniya Sev Kamaiye, Taan Dargah Baisan Paiyeea’. It means that only by taking the path of service to the nation can life turn out well. Our government has been working with this sense of service, to make the lives of people easy,” PM Modi said.Last year, in September, President Ram Nath Kovind gave his assent for the three bills passed by the Parliament. The three bills were: Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020, Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill, 2020 and Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill 2020.These bills were passed by Parliament during the monsoon session last year. Farmers have continued to express apprehension that the Centre’s farm reforms would pave a way for the dismantling of the minimum support price system, leaving them at the “mercy” of big companies.Meanwhile, Hundreds of farmers protesting against the three farms laws, people from all walks of life and top politicians on Friday welcomed big announcement to repeal the controversial legislation through constitutional measures in Parliament.