While the Manipur State Secretariat of the CPI (M) said that “an obdurate PM and his government were forced to bend”, MPCC said that the Acts were repealed due to “political implications” and in view of the upcoming state elections.
TFM Desk
Amidst jubilant atmosphere amongst farmers after Prime Minister Modi’s stunning announcement on Friday that the contentious three farm laws would be repealed, Manipur state units of Congress and Communist Party of India (Marxist) also welcomed the new development.
The Manipur State Secretariat of the CPI (M) saluted the historic victory of the year-long spirited, inspiring and courageous struggle by the kisans under the leadership of the Samyukta Kisan Morcha.
“An obdurate PM and his government were forced to bend. Yet Modi continues to justify these black laws blaming a section of farmers being misled. There is no remorse expressed at the deaths of our farmers or the attacks against them,” stated a release by CPI (M) state secretary Kshetrimayum Santa.
The CPI (M) reiterated that the parliament, while repealing these “black laws”, should enact the legal right to sell at MSP for all agricultural crops.
More than 750 farmers have been martyred in this struggle, the left party said, adding they faced hostility from the BJP administration with military type roadblocks, threats, intimidations and murderous physical attacks. Strict action must be taken against all such people who have indulged in these activities, it demanded.
The Manipur State Secretariat of the CPI (M) also hailed the determination of our farmers and endorsed the SKM’s approach that they shall wait to see the materialisation of these assurances before returning to their villages.
On the other hand, Congress welcomed the announcement by PM Modi, stating that it was a big win for the farmers who defeated the Modi government.
The farmers have been agitating against the farm laws since August 9, 2020. And after one year, three months, one week and three days, they have won, said Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee vice president Kh Devbrata while addressing media persons at Congress Bhawan, Imphal.
Stating that the Acts were passed mercilessly and in an autocratic manner in favour of the corporations, he said that what Congress Rahul Gandhi had predicted has come true. Few months back, Rahul Gandhi had said that the Modi government would be forced to repeal these Acts, he added.
Rejecting PM Modi’s reasoning for the repeal during his address to the nation, Devbrata maintained it was done in view of the political development — the poor show by BJP in the recent by-elections and the upcoming state elections in five states.
Stating that around 50 per cent of the voters of the country are farmers, the MPCC vice president said that PM Modi did not repealed the farm laws out of mercy for those killed and injured in the farmers’ protests, but out of “political implications”.
The BJP is afraid that they would be removed from power in 2024 if they lose the state elections in 2022, he argued.
Since November 2020, farmers from Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and other states have been camping at Delhi’s borders in protest against the three legislations — the Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020, and Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020. The protests have continued for over a year as deliberations between the government and farmers unions failed.