Congratulating the farmers over the triumphant culmination of their over year-long agitation against the Farm Laws, Punjab Lok Congress (PLC) chief Captain Amarinder Singh on Thursday hoped it would pave the way for a more constructive political environment for the progress of the farming community, who constitute the backbone of India’s economic growth and sustainability. Captain Amarinder said he was happy the farmers’ fight had reached its logical conclusion and the Uttar Pradesh and Haryana governments had agreed in principle to follow his own erstwhile government’s decision in Punjab to compensate the families of farmers who had lost their lives during the agitation.
The Captain Amarinder Singh government had announced Rs 5 lakh in financial aid and a job for one member each of the deceased farmers’ families in December 2020 and January 2021, respectively. In a statement today, the former Chief Minister expressed relief that the agitating farmers, farm labourers and their families will finally be back in the warm comfort of their homes after camping at Delhi’s borders since November last year. Captain Amarinder hoped the lingering issue of MSP, for which the Centre had constituted a committee, would also be resolved soon to the satisfaction of the farmers. He further hoped all future legislations and decisions concerning the farming community, which has been at the forefront of India’s progressive march since Independence, would be taken in the spirit of mutual agreement, after due consultation with all the stakeholders. Asserting his party’s unequivocal support for the farmers, Captain Amarinder said that, as in the past, he would continue to do everything in his power to protect their interests and ensure their welfare.
He pointed out that as chief minister of Punjab, he had not only supported the farmers’ fight for the repeal of the Farm Laws but had ensured that they were not, in any way, harassed even when they were sitting in protest across the state or marching towards Delhi. As far back as in June 2020, he had convened an all-party meeting to seek repeal of what were then the three Farm Ordinances, pointed out the former chief minister. His government had followed it up with a Resolution rejecting the Ordinances, which was passed by the Punjab Assembly in August, he added. These initiatives, said Captain Amarinder, were in sharp contrast to the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), which was outright condemning the farmers’ stir after being instrumental in bringing in the Ordinances, and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which was busy implementing one of the Farm Laws in Delhi, while the farmers were fighting with their lives out on the roads. Further, Captain Amarinder noted that he had personally interacted with the Kisan Unions as well as the central government leadership at various levels over the past 18 months to seek an amicable resolution to the issue, to the satisfaction of the farmers.
