Kerala assembly passes resolution against Modi govt's agricultural reforms

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said in the assembly as quoted by NDTV, "There should be a system where agricultural products are procured by the Central government and distributed to the needy at fair prices. Instead, it has allowed corporates to take over the trade in agricultural products. The Centre is shirking its responsibility of providing fair prices to farmers."

"If these protests continue, it will affect Kerala badly. If agriculture production stops coming to a consumer state like Kerala, the state will be pushed towards hunger," the CM of the southern state added.

Interestingly, the lone member of the country's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the assembly did not oppose the resolution.

"I did not vote...I support this resolution. We have certain differences over some arguments that they have put forward...I support the substance of the resolution," said BJP MLA O Rajagopal.

Thousands of farmers are camped in Delhi-Haryana border since Nov 26 with the sole demand of the repeal of the laws enacted by the central government through an Ordinance amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

One of the Centre's new farm laws will now allow farmers to sell their produce to institutional buyers beyond the regulated wholesale market.

Though the middlemen in the wholesale markets are often accused of usurping the farmers in the earlier agricultural system, the protesters, backed by several opposition parties, fear they will have little bargaining power while selling their produce to institutional buyers, running the risk of getting exploited with the gradual destablising of the mundies.     

As the sixth round of talks between the Centre and the representatives of farmers' unions was held on Wednesday, consensus could be reached on two issues out of the four, Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar said.

While the government is firm on implementing the contentious farm laws, it has offered to withdraw the Electricity Amendment Bill and the penal provisions for stubble burning in the Air Quality Commission Ordinance, which were among the other demands of the protesting farmers.