As was expected, the withdrawal of the three farm laws has thrown open a pandora’s box, with PDP president Mehbooba Mufti and National Conference (NC) Member of Parliament Hasnain Masoodi demanding the Prime Minister of revoking all decisions taken on August 5, 2019, concerning Jammu and Kashmir, just like he announced the revocation of three farm laws on Friday.
Mufti called the decision to repeal farm laws an apology and “a welcome step”. She even posted a tweet, demanding that the central government rolls back the decisions made on August 5, 2019, with respect to Jammu and Kashmir, just like the farm laws were taken back.
She tweeted, “Even though it stems from electoral compulsions and fear of drubbing in elections. Ironical that while BJP needs to please people in rest of India for votes, punishing and humiliating Kashmiris satisfies their major vote bank.”
Desecrating Indian constitution to dismember & disempower J&K was done only to please their voters. I hope they course correct here too & reverse the illegal changes made in J&K since August 2019.
— Mehbooba Mufti (@MehboobaMufti) November 19, 2021
“Desecrating the Indian constitution to dismember and disempower J&K was done only to please their voters. I hope they course correct here too and reverse the illegal changes made in J&K since August 2019,” she tweeted in a subsequent tweet.
Likewise, Mr Masoodi of the National Conference, too, urged PM Modi to introspect the case of the 2019 decisions, through which Jammu and Kashmir were stripped of their separate status. Dissing the momentous decision of the abrogation of Article 370, Masoodi rued that the state was “unilaterally, unconstitutionally and unethically denuded of its special status, dismembered and downgraded to Union Territory”. He termed the Prime Minister’s move on farm laws “a clear shift from politics of arrogance to one of introspection and reappraisal”.
‘Repeal of three laws reflects a realisation on the part of PM Modi and the Centre’: Masoodi
Masoodi further added that the decision to revoke farm laws depicts a realisation on PM Modi and the Centre’s part that instead of ramrodding important legislations on the strength of the majority, they should be placed in the public domain for wider discussions and deliberations at the pre-legislation stage.
“The fresh decision teaches us that there is nothing like ‘hands of a clock cannot be moved back’. The August 5, 2019 decisions, like farm laws, have resulted in death and destruction, uncertainty, and large-scale discontent. The decisions, as admitted by the Prime Minister, have widened the gulf between the people of Jammu, Kashmir, Ladakh and the rest of the country. It also has caused a huge drain on precious and scarce resources of the country that rightfully belong to the millions of underprivileged and disempowered countrymen,” he said.
The National Conference leader also exhorted the Centre to facilitate an internal dialogue amongst the people of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh. “The political parties and the civil society groups at the national level should support just cause and political aspirations of the people of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh like they extended unwavering support to the farmers’ struggle,” he added.
PM Modi announces withdrawal of three farm laws
PM Modi, addressing the nation said on November 19, that by the end of this month, the Modi government would complete the process of repealing the three farm laws. He then appealed to the protesting farmers and middlemen to return to their homes on this Gurupurab and stop their protest. He further said that the government will form a committee to formulate laws for the benefit of the farmers.
He further said that the government had introduced the laws after due deliberation but perhaps it was the shortcoming of the government that they could not convince all farmers that the laws were indeed in their benefit. Further, he said that the past governments had deliberated on these laws as well but it was the Modi government that had implemented them.
He said that all his decisions were in the interest of the nation and he will continue to work for the benefit of the nation.
