Rahul Gandhi of India’s Opposition Congress Party Begins ‘Tractor Rallies’ Against Farm Laws

The Indian government has enacted three farm laws, which are strongly opposed by opposition parties and farmers who say they give power to corporates, leaving farmers deprived of fair prices for their produce.

Former chief of India’s opposition Congress Party, Rahul Gandhi hit the road in Punjab on Sunday - riding on a tractor to protest three new federal farm laws enacted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

“The British had to quit India as it had destroyed the farming community. [Prime Minister Narendra] Modi too has the same objective – break the backbone of farmers and handover everything to Adani, Ambani-like people [businessmen Gautam Adani and Mukesh Ambani]. It is essential to change this,” said Rahul Gandhi at one of the rallies.

अंग्रेजों ने देश के किसानों को खत्म किया, रीढ़ की हड्डी को तोड़ा था, इसलिए अंग्रेज़ यहां राज़ कर पाए।

वही लक्ष्य मोदी जी का है- किसान की रीढ़ की हड्डी तोड़ो और सबकुछ अडानी, अंबानी जैसे लोगों को सौंप दो। इस व्यवस्था को बदलने की जरूरत है: श्री @RahulGandhi #KhetiBachaoYatra pic.twitter.com/bXsXw9b6ZF

— Congress (@INCIndia) October 4, 2020

​During the three-day rallies, Rahul Gandhi will cover the entire length and breadth of Punjab, while adhering to COVID-19 guidelines.

'खेती बचाओ यात्रा' में उमड़ा जनसैलाब बता रहा है कि मोदी सरकार के काले कानूनों से किसान त्रस्त हैं। ये किसानों का जनसैलाब उस मोदी सरकार को करारा जवाब है- जो अपने काले कानूनों पर अड़ी हुई है।

किसानों की इस न्याय की लड़ाई में कांग्रेस किसानों के साथ है।#KhetiBachaoYatra pic.twitter.com/uCIU4ZXA1W

— Congress (@INCIndia) October 4, 2020

​The enacted three farm laws are - Farmers Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act 2020, Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020 and Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act 2020.

Farmers in the agrarian states of Punjab and Haryana have been agitating since the issue came up in Parliament, blocking national highways and railway traffic.  

One of their main contentions is that the new legislations would bring to an end the price protection given by the federal government and they would be at the mercy of private procurement agencies.

The passage of the legislations has also angered one of the oldest allies of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Shiromani Akali Dal, a regional party predominantly representing the minority Sikh community, which first withdrew its representative from the federal ministry and later quit the alliance too over the decision.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has assured the farmers that the system of price support (MSP) would remain. He defended the legislation and claimed the reforms would help rid India’s vast farm sector of antiquated laws and allow farmers to sell to large corporates and retailers such as Walmart.