Govt addressing farmers' concerns; Opposition misguiding them: PM Narendra Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday once again reiterated that his government's firm stance on not going back on three controversial agriculture laws against which farmers are staging protests in Delhi. Ruling out any such possibility, Modi blamed the Opposition parties for "misleading" the farmers in order to reap political benefits and said that "these laws are most beneficial for which even Opposition parties and farmers' bodies were demanding for years."

Reaching out to farmers in his address from Dhordo, a major tourist attraction in Kutch district, PM Modi said, "Friends, the agriculture reforms are exactly the same as sought by farmer bodies and even opposition parties for years. These opposition parties supported these laws when they were in power but couldn't make a decision. Now that these have become laws, they are misleading the farmers that their lands will be taken away."

At the function in Dhordo, where tourists throng in winter to see "White Rann", farmers including Sikhs had been brought "to interact with the prime minister." There is a sizable population of Sikh farmers in the region who have settled there following the 1962 war with Pakistan following a scheme by the central government. Incidentally, most of the farmers protesting in Delhi are from Punjab and Haryana.

Modi said in his address, "Farmers who have gathered in Delhi are being misled as part of a conspiracy by opposition. Farmers are told that their land will be snatched by others if new farm reforms get implemented. I want to ask you, did the dairy owner take your cattle because you are selling milk to him?", he added that the dairy sector contributes immensely to the agriculture sector.

He also said that the new farm laws would be beneficial to marginal farmers who grow whole grains and pulses.

"But, the opposition is spreading falsehood and misleading the farmers. I want to reiterate that my government is ready 24 hours to resolve all your doubts," Modi said. He further said that "I am confident that our honest intentions and efforts will defeat those who are misleading the farmers to reap political gains."

Prime Minister Modi also laid foundation stones for three major projects in the region which includes a hybrid renewable energy park, said to be the world's largest, in Khavda, close to the international border with Pakistan, a desalination plant at Mandvi, which will have a capacity of 10 crore litres of water every day and a fully automated milk processing and packing plant at Sarhad Dairy Anjar, Kutch.

Interestingly, last month union home minister Amit Shah had visited the region where he held a meeting with sarpanches of three nearby districts that share its borders with Pakistan.

PM Modi was also briefed on the progress of Smruti Van, a large memorial being built in the name of 2001 earthquake victims. The first phase of the project is likely to be inaugurated soon.