PM Narendra Modi on Friday announced that the government has decided to repeal the three farm laws, which were at the centre of protests by farmers for the past year.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the three laws were for the benefit of farmers but 'we couldn't convince a section of farmers despite best efforts.'
PM Narendra Modi on Friday announced that the government has decided to repeal the three farm laws, which were at the centre of protests by farmers for the past year.
Addressing the nation on the occasion of Guru Nanak Jayanti, the Prime Minister said the three laws were for the benefit of farmers but "we couldn't convince a section of farmers despite best efforts."
As the three farm laws have been revoked, here is what the small businesses had said as they were not in favour of implementing these laws, as per The Federal.
Amrit Mann is an owner of Amrit Flour Mills in Ludhiana, Punjab
He buys wheat and rice from farmers, processes them and sells them in the local market. “We are into this business for the last 30 years and there are nearly 200 full-time employees with us. Our worry is that once the three farm laws are fully implemented, big players in the agricultural market will take over the entire business,”he had said.
Jaidev Bansal, a middleman based out of Narwana in Jind district
He had said if the farm laws will be implemented, their entire commission will be gone. “We are accused of funding the protest. The farmers know what is right for them. We are against these farm laws because these directly affect our fraternity — we will be jobless,” he said.
“We charge about 2 per cent commission, but nobody sees what we do for farmers. We give them loans without any interest. We help them with seeds, fertilizers and transportation. We help them clean their crops and help them to sell at better prices. We provide them with a variety of machinery as well,” he said.
“Agriculture is not only restricted to farmers. There are millions of wholesalers, retailers, transporters, godown owners, manufacturers of fertilizer, agricultural chemicals, seeds and machinery. If you give all of this to big companies, millions would be jobless,” he added.
Vijay Mehta, owner of Mehta Seeds and Fertilisers in Khanna, Punjab
These farm laws would break the entire supply chain of agriculture in Punjab. “A farmer buys seeds and fertilizers from us, but these laws have legalized contract farming after which big companies will provide seeds, manure and fertilizers. Where will we go? There are lakhs of shops like ours in Punjab employing thousands of people?”