Siddaramaiah pens open letter asking citizens to support farmers

Karnataka's Leader of the Opposition Siddaramaiah has urged “fellow Indians” to lend their support to the agitating farmers through a 5-page explainer targeted at urbanites.

“Farmers are not protesting only for themselves. They are also fighting on behalf of the entire country,” stated Siddaramaiah.

“APMC amendment has come into effect. Now anybody can buy and sell farm produce anywhere. There is no need to go to APMC. Traders who carry trade within APMC should pay APMC fees while those who carry out trade outside APMC premises will not pay. Then why will any trader come to APMC to purchase? Where will producers sell if no trader comes to APMCs? Who will stop the exploitation of farmers? Farmers can take loans by pledging their produce in APMC. What will farmers do now if APMC goes into the hands of private players?” Siddaramaiah said, accusing the Centre of not consulting farmers.

For latest updates on farmers' protest, click here

The Congress leader said that the Centre had also amended the Essential Commodities Act, removing restrictions on storing food grains in warehouses. “This will result in the hoarding of essential commodities creating artificial shortage increasing the prices for all the consumers,” he said.

“Everybody knows what happened with Tur dal in 2015-16. It was procured at Rs 60-70 from farmers and sold at Rs 180-200 to consumers. Then I-T conducted raids in the godowns belonging to Adani, Jindal etc and seized more than 75,000 tons of Tur dal. Now, with the new amendment, no one can be raided for hoarding,” he said, adding that the prices of food grains had gone up.

The government has also enacted the Contract Farming Act allowing farmers to enter into contracts with capitalists, Siddaramaiah said.

“If there are any conflicts during the contract term, farmers have to approach AC-DC and not the judicial courts. The power to adjudicate is not with the courts. Everyone knows who the officials will ultimately favour. It is definitely not the farmers,” he said. “Now tell, will these new farm laws help people in any way.”

Siddaramaiah asked. “Would you still like to call our proud farmers anti-national?”