Parliament approves repeal of farm laws; Opposition protests demanding debate

New Delhi: A Bill to cancel the three controversial farm laws at the heart of massive farmer protests for over a year was passed within two hours in Parliament on Monday, without discussion, making it perhaps the fastest undoing of a law in independent India, amid an uproar on the first day of the Winter Session without any discussion as demanded by the Opposition.

Though the repeal Bill was passed by voice vote within minutes of its introduction in both the Houses, Opposition members continued their protest demanding a discussion on farmers' issues, including legal sanctity to Minimum Support Price(MSP) of crops and compensation to families of farmers who died during the year-long agitation.

The Farm Laws Repeal Bill, 2021 was introduced in the Lok Sabha at 12.06 pm and passed at 12.10 pm. The house adjourned within seconds amid loud protests from the opposition benches. Shortly afterwards, the Bill was cleared in the Rajya Sabha as well.

The blink-and-miss proceedings were wedged between multiple adjournments over disruptions on the opening day of the Winter Session of Parliament.

The Farm Laws Repeal Bill, 2021 now awaits the assent of President Ram Nath Kovind for the formal withdrawal of the three laws against which farmers have been protesting at Delhi borders.

Terming the repeal of the farm laws a victory of the protesters, the Samyukt Kisan Morcha(SKM) called an emergency meeting on Wednesday to discuss the future course of action as leaders from Punjab unions asked the Centre to hold discussions and give an assurance on other demands, including a legal guarantee on MSP, in Parliament on November 30.

Introducing the repeal Bill in the two Houses, Agriculture minister Narendra Singh Tomar said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has kept his word as the government brought the Bill on the very first day of the Winter Session of Parliament.

Stating that Modi has shown a big heart by announcing the repeal of the laws on Guru Nanak Jayanti on November 19, Tomar sought the support of the members in its passage without a discussion, noting that both the government and the Opposition are in favour of repealing the three laws.

He also attacked the Congress for adopting a "double standard" on the laws, as its own election manifesto talked about the need for reforms in the farm sector.

Reacting to the accusation by the Opposition of not allowing a discussion, Tomar told reporters there was unanimity on the issue as both the government and opposition parties wanted to nullify the legislations.

Outside Parliament, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi alleged that repealing of the three farm laws without a debate shows that the government is "terrified" of having a discussion and knows that it has done something wrong.

Tomar, however, suggested that a discussion on the Bill could have started in the Lok Sabha but protests by Opposition parties ruled it out.

Speaker Om Birla repeatedly told Opposition members that he was ready for initiating a discussion if they went back to their seats, Tomar noted.

In the Rajya Sabha, after a brief back-and-forth across the house, the Union Agriculture minister said: "There is no need for a discussion on the Bill. Let it be passed."

"We condemn the act with a strong voice. No discussion was allowed either on the floor of the House or during the Business Advisory Committee's meeting earlier in the day," TMC's leader of Rajya Sabha Sukhendu Shekhar Ray said. Adding further, he claimed "Parliament is the highest forum in a democracy where discussion is very much needed for the sake of the people of this country. In this case, farmers have been deprived and their right was taken away by the government last year. They are protesting for a year now. More than 700 people died and even some goons, hired by the incumbent party, instrumentally killed farmers and one journalist at Lakhimpur Kheri in Uttar Pradesh. Hence, ultimately, the government was compelled to withdraw the three black acts."

Congress leader Shashi Tharoor also objected strongly to the government's conduct.

"What they did is wrong. We wanted to raise the farmers' demand for a law guaranteeing Minimum Support Price (MSP) and compensation for farmers who died during protests. But the government denied us that chance," Tharoor added.

"This government doesn't want discussion. They have a problem with debate," said Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) MP Supriya Sule.

The SKM, an umbrella body of 40 farmer unions, rued the absence of a discussion in Parliament.

"This is a victory for us and a historic day. We want withdrawal of cases against farmers. We want a committee to be formed on the legal guarantee of MSP for crops. The Centre has time till tomorrow (Tuesday) to reply to our demands. We have called an emergency meeting of SKM on Wednesday to discuss the future course of action," farmer leaders told a press conference.