New Delhi [India] : After Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s announcement repealing three farm laws, farmers burst into celebration and distributed ‘Jalebis’ at the protest site on Gazipur (UP-Delhi) border on Friday. “I thank Prime Minister Modi for taking this decision. People were saying that it will be the government’s defeat if they take back the farm laws, I always used to say that the government is a very big institution and repealing the farm laws is not their defeat. Since it is the government of farmers how can this be their defeat,” said one of the protesters present at the Gazipur site. “I welcome the decision of the Central government. I just wish that they would have done this a bit early,” said another. “This victory is dedicated to those farmers who lost their lives during this protest. I thank everyone who supported us and helped spread our word,” said a protestor.
Farmers have been protesting against the government’s three farm laws since they were passed by the Centre in 2020. The three farm laws are– The Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act provides for setting up a mechanism allowing the farmers to sell their farm produces outside the Agriculture Produce Market Committees (APMCs). Any licence-holder trader can buy the produce from the farmers at mutually agreed prices. This trade of farm produces will be free of mandi tax imposed by the state governments. The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Act allows farmers to do contract farming and market their produces freely. The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act is an amendment to the existing Essential Commodities Act.
