Jharkhand joined the list of states that are opposing the recently passed agriculture bills with chief minister Hemant Soren calling them “the biggest attack on the country's federal structure” on Saturday.
On a day when farmers and trade unions observed a Bharat Bandh, Hemant criticised the Narendra Modi-led NDA government for leaving the nation’s “annadata (famers)” at the mercy of his corporate friends by “forcefully” and “unconstitutionally” getting the bills passed in Parliament earlier this week.
Hemant said Jharkhand would never be on board with the Centre’s anti-people decisions. “Chanakya ne ek baat kahi thi, ‘jis desh ka raja vyapari hota hai, us desk ka janta hamesha bhikari hota hai.’ (Chanakya had said that if the ruler of a country is a businessman, its people will always live in penury). Our farmers have been duped by this law and it’s time to stand against it,” he said.
The chief minister hinted at not implementing the laws in Jharkhand, even as he was exploring various legal options.
Addressing the media at Project Building, Hemant said, “Today, all farmers are out on streets as part of the Bharat Bandh against the farm bill. I don’t know what our PM is up to in his second stint and where he wants to push this country to in the garb of reforms?
“After the failure of goods and services taxes (GST), his government tried to push through coal block privatisation, then brought in a new education policy and now the farm laws. All these without taking the states on board. For me, this farm bill is the biggest attack on the country's federal structure till date by any elected government.”
Hemant accused the Union government of playing into the hands of corporates to privatise the country’s farming sector, which in turn would push farmers to the brink.
“The contract framing section has enough indications of the horrors our farmers are likely to confront in the coming days. We all know the condition of contract workers in the country, how they often struggle to earn a day’s meal. Now, our farmers will join this rank, thanks to the Modi government.
“The law doesn’t talk about whom farmers should approach if companies abruptly end their contracts. Can a petty farmer of Ranchi fight with giants like Adani and Ambanis in case their contract turns up in court? In a nutshell, this law will give birth to a new kind of mahajan pratha to exploit farmers.”
Asked if Jharkhand was planning to pass a resolution against the laws in the state Assembly, he said, “If need be, we will do it after talking with our alliance partners, the Congress and RJD.”
