Haryana farmers protest over Central ordinances; Police files FIR as Cong-BJP lock horns

On September 10, the Bhartiya Kisan Union and other farmer organisations blocked the national highway at Pipli in Kurukshetra district of Haryana. The police resorted to lathicharge to disperse the agitators. As the pictures of injured farmers were circulated on social media, massive outrage began, criticising the Police and the Haryana government. While Haryana Congress leaders claimed that the ruling BJP government is anti-farmers, the Manohar Lal Khattar government stayed mum till Saturday. 

On Saturday, two BJP MPs Dharambir Singh and Brijendra Singh came in support of the farmers and said that the incident was 'painful' and 'farmers have equal rights to raise their voices'. BJP's ally in Haryana Jannayak Janata Party (JJP) also condemned the incident and JJP leader Digvijay Chautala said that the incident will be investigated. 

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Why are the farmers protesting?

Farmers are demanding a rollback of three central laws promulgated through ordinances on June 5 - Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Ordinance, Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Ordinance and Essential Commodities (Amendment) Ordinance. Apart from this, farmers demand a loan waiver, a law for MSP - which will be 50 percent more than the weighted average cost of production (as per Swaminathan report, 2006 by The National Commission on Farmers), the continuation of the mandi system. The farmers allege that these ordinances are "anti-farmers" and will "destroy voice of farmers and leave them at the mercy of market forces".

What are the ordinances?

As per PRS India, the first ordinance - Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Ordinance seeks to provide for barrier-free trade of farmers’ produce outside the markets notified under the various state agricultural produce market laws (state APMC Acts).  The Ordinance will prevail over state APMC Acts.

As per PRS India, the second ordinance - the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Ordinance essentially talks about contract farming that allows farmers to sell their produce outside of the APMC via a “framework for farmers to enter into direct contracts with those who wish to buy farm produce”. 

As per PRS India, the third ordinance - the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Ordinance amends the Essential Commodities Act, 1955 and empowers the central government to control the production, supply, distribution, trade, and commerce in certain commodities.  The Ordinance seeks to increase competition in the agriculture sector and enhance farmers’ income.  It aims to liberalise the regulatory system while protecting the interests of consumers. 

READ | Farmers Block National Highway In Haryana Against Farm Ordinances

What was Haryana Police's statement after lathicharge?

Kurukshetra superintendent of Police Astha Modi said agitators blocked the national highway, pelted stones on the police personnel manning the barriers. He said that despite strict instructions, hundreds of farmers managed to reach Pipli Chowk, and also broke windowpanes of a fire brigade vehicle parked at the site. The police resorted to lathicharge to disperse the crowd, the officer said. 

Then on Friday, the Haryana Police booked state BKU chief Gurnam Singh Charuni and 300 unidentified people for damaging public property and violating prohibitory orders. SHO Naresh Kumar said that three separate FIRs were registered which include charges for the violation of the National Highway Act and the Disaster Management Act. The Shahbad Markanda police has also lodged cases against 300 unknown people. 

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What is the Opposition saying?

Former Chief Minister and Congress leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda have warned the state government that if demands of farmers will not be met, then there will be a 'war'. He said that the government wants to impose these ordinances in a dictatorial manner, and wants to suppress their voice by showing fear of COVID-19. State Congress chief Kumari Selja condemned the Police action on farmers and announced that Haryana Congress unit will protest against BJP government on September 21. 

What is the state government saying?

Ahead of the farmers' protest, state agriculture minister JP Dalal said the state government is committed to provide Minimum Support Price for all the crops of the farmers of Haryana. Describing the Ordinances as “farmer-friendly”, Dalal said some people with vested interests were trying to mislead the farmers about the ordinances and assured that the MSP system was here to stay.

Dalal also added that a meeting was held between BKU leader Gurnam Singh and senior officers of the Agriculture department on Tuesday evening in which it was clarified that the interests of farmers will be safeguarded at all costs. He clarified that the three ordinances give liberty to farmers to sell their crop to a private agency at a price higher than the MSP. The minister also clarified that government mandis will not be closed and procurement of crops on the MSP will continue. He said Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar has already given directions to the officers concerned to draft policy to ensure that the trade inside the mandis does not get hampered due to procurement done outside.

READ | Haryana BKU chief, 300 unknown people booked for damaging property