Jharkhand Pradesh Congress Committee (JPCC), part of the ruling alliance in the state on Monday took out tractor-rally in Ranchi and other districts demanding rollback of the new farm laws introduced by Narendra Modi government recently calling them as anti-farmer and pro-capitalist.
State party president cum finance minister Rameshwar Oraon led the rally which commenced from Rampur in Namkum and passed through Sada Bahar chowk, Doranda and culminated at a new assembly building covering a distance of about 20 km. Over 200 people comprising MLAs, workers and members of the party’s farm wing took part in the rally, with many driving tractors while others walking on foot and moving in their vehicles. On the way, the leaders also interacted with local farmers and the public assembled to witness the procession and apprised them of why the newly enacted laws are anti-farmer.
“These laws will force farmers to work as contract laborers for the capitalist,” said Oraon, adding that the party is fighting nationally against these contentious laws in the interest of farmers. Criticizing the BJP led government in the Centre, Oraon said that since 2014, the incumbent regime in the Centre has been strategically weakening the economy, and its driving forces to outsource everything to corporate. “It began four years back with demonetization which forced migrants, daily wagers and the public at large to the brink. They (Centre) claimed black money will get wiped out but nothing happened. All black money returned back. Then it brought goods and services taxes (GST) in form of simplification of the tax system but it turned into a monster for the traders while poor states like us are being denied our dues. Now, our farmlands are put up for sale by bringing new laws in the name of farm linkage with the market,” alleged Oraon.
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Congress’s Pakur MLA and state rural development minister Alamgir Alam said that that they won’t allow the union government’s laws to get enacted in the state and the party will continue to fight for the farmers.
“On one hand, we are talking about strengthening of minimum support price for farmer’s produces but the union government is hell-bent on indirectly end it by bringing these laws claiming that it will enable farmers to sell their produce directly to big companies. Will any profit-oriented company pay a better price to farmers?” he questioned, adding that the ruling alliance of JMM-Congress-RJD in Jharkhand will never allow such black laws in the state.
Notably, two Congress-ruled states — Punjab and Rajasthan last month introduced bills in the respective state assemblies against the new farm laws. Punjab chief minister Captain Amrinder Singh also led a rally in Delhi recently demanding a rollback while lakhs of farmers in his state are continuing with the protest. In Jharkhand, chief minister Hemant Soren too had criticized the laws calling them an attack of ‘annadatta’ while talking to the reporters last month.
