Farmers' bodies across party lines condemn contentious Bills

Kolkata: Farmers in Bengal have expressed deep concern stating that the Farm Bills are nothing but a path towards bleak future for them with the entire agri-economy going into the hands of capitalists.

Farmers' organisations in Bengal across party lines have raised their voices protesting against the Bills. The farmers across the state will be holding sit-in-demonstrations this week demanding the withdrawal of the Bills.

In this connection, Trinamool Congress attacked the BJP stating that "farmers are the pillars of our agrarian nation. BJP's unconstitutional attack on the grassroots of our society is proof of their pseudo-nationalism. We will fight your fascism from the pavement to the Parliament."

Stating about the dharna of the party's MPs, Trinamool Congress further mentioned in a tweet that: "Farmers are India's backbone! This is just one step towards Pursuit of Justice for our farmers and we'll keep moving forward in our battle. We'll fight this fascism from each corner of the nation, standing beside Mamata Banerjee, the true warrior safeguarding farmers' interests."

Paschim Banga Kishan Khet Majdoor Trinamool Congress Committee will be holding sit-in-demonstration at all Krishak Bazars protesting against the Bills.

Committee's president Becharam Manna said: "The Bills are just like traps for farmers as it will force them to stress sale their produce and finally they have to surrender to the capitalists to sell out their agricultural lands. We will fight against it till our last breath."

Shyamapada Koley, a farmer from Singur, said: "We do not know what will be our fate as there will be no Minimum Support Price. Initially, the national and international players may give the right amount to procure our crops. But they will start taking upper hand within a couple of years or so."

Another farmer Sushanta Bagui from Gopalnagar said: "We are always praying that it should not finally materialise as we will lose our identity and have to submit ourselves before the institutional buyers."

The farmers wing of the Pradesh Congress staged agitations at different venues in Kolkata on Tuesday in protest.

Left's Krishak Sabha will also be holding a sit-in-demonstration protesting against the Bills at different points on National Highways and State Highways.

Amal Halder, Secretary of All India Krishak Sabha, said: "Not only farmers, it will leave a deep impact on the entire society. Farmers will turn landless and the Farm Bills will leave a deep impact on the rationing system as well."