Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to chair a meeting of the union cabinet on November 24 to discuss and approve the withdrawal of the three farm laws. The approval of the cabinet for the withdrawal will be taken after the Prime Minister on November 19 announced the repeal of the laws which had stirred farmers’ protest.
After a year-long farmers’ protests amid a couple of cases of violence, the Modi government finally announced the withdrawal. As the Winter Session of Parliament is set to begin on November 29, the proposal to repeal the law will then be taken up by Parliament. Even though PM Modi officially announced the decision of his government, farmers said that they will not stop the protests till the laws are repealed by the Parliament.
These three laws are Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act 2020, Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act 2020 and Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act 2020.
On the 19th of November, at 9 AM, PM Modi addressed the nation announcing that the three farm laws, passed for the benefit of small farmers, stood repealed. The decision, however, left many shocked and his announcement received varied reactions.
It is believed that PM Modi announced the repeal of the laws while keeping in mind the security of the nation.
Modi said that these laws were brought for the benefit of farmers. But one section of farmers was not convinced of the benefits in spite of multiple rounds of talks. While he urged farmers to return their home, he said that an agricultural committee will be formed to strengthen the Minimum Support Price (MSP) structure.
But the Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh who thanked Modi for repealing laws admitted that he averted a major crisis and impending tragedy looming over the Sikh community.
Farmers’ agitation was used as the launching pad to relaunch the separatist Khalistani movement. The way foreign funding was flowing and anti-India forces and activists across the globe collaborated over the matter, there were signals of impending threat.
