Kerala Assembly passes resolution against Centre's farm laws; lone BJP MLA also backs it

In special session on Thursday, Kerala Assembly passed a resolution against three farm laws and demanded ir repeal. resolution states that  genuine concerns of farmers should be addressed and Centre should withdraw all three farm laws. CM Pinrayi Vijayan and Goverr Arif Mohammad Khan had been at loggerheads over issue of special session of Kerala Assembly.  Kerala Government had written to Goverr Arif Mohammad Khan to convene a special Assembly session which latter had turned down, after which Vijayan government threatened to move top court. 

resolution was passed unanimously with support of both ruling-LDF and opposition-UDF legislators, while lone BJP MP O. Rajagopal said, "Similar farm laws were promised by Congress in ir poll manifesto. CPI(M) also demanded to bring in such laws. w, both parties are opposing it. Farmers shouldn't be misguided."  However, during vote, he voted in favour of resolution. While tabling  resolution on Thursday, CM Vijayan stated, "Kerala could t bear impact of such a situation particularly amid ravaging COVID-19 pandemic. re should be a system where agricultural products are procured by Central government and distributed to needy at fair prices. Instead, it has allowed corporates to take over trade in agricultural products. Centre is shirking its responsibility of providing fair prices to farmers."

It added, "Considering all this, Kerala Legislative Assembly is requesting Central government to cancel se three farm laws and accept demands by farmers."

PM Modi has earlier pointed out that Kerala does t have Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) system, and in such a case, why is it opposing farm laws? To this, left parties had responded saying that  state has an alternative system involving horticorp outlets and vegetable and fruit-promotion councils.

Here is full anti-farm laws resolution:

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Punjab government had on October 21 became first state in country to pass a resolution against Centre’s contentious farm laws and proposed Electricity (Amendment) Bill. state government demanded  immediate annulment of laws, and also passed a new ordinance to protect minimum support price (MSP). 

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Talks between farmers and Centre

seventh round of discussions between Centre and farmers' unions ended on late Wednesday evening. nearly 5-hour long deliberations on Wednesday ended inconclusively forcing ar round which has been scheduled on January 4. 4-point nda set by farmers' unions was tabled in meeting, with government conceding to two demands, Union Agriculture Minister confirmed.  Centre has agreed to keep farmers out of ambit of penalty for stubble burning and has also conceded to demand of t going ahead with Electricity Amendment Bill 2020. As per sources, during meeting, government had told farmers that demands and issues related to three agricultural laws can be discussed by forming a committee while explaining long process of making and abolishing laws.

Union Government maintained that laws will t be repealed, but agreed to talk on MSP later, asking farmers to stop ir agitation, once again. Amid talks, Union Ministers - Narendra Singh Tomar, Piyush Goyal and Som Parkash joined farm union leaders in ir 'Lunch Langar.'

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