We are with Satyagrahi Annadata, says Rahul Gandhi

Rahul Gandhi on Saturday said that he stood with the non-violent farmers protesting against the Centre’s farm laws

Congress leader, Rahul Gandhi on Saturday said that he stood with the non-violent farmers protesting against the Centre’s farm laws.

“It’s simple – We are with Satyagrahi Annadata,” the Congress leader wrote on micro-blogging site Twitter.

Earlier, the Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had tweeted, “Khet-desh kee raksha mein, til-til mare hain kisaan, par na dare hain kisaan, aaj bhee khare hain kisaan.”

Roughly translated, this means that while farmers have died in defense of their farm and country, they remain unafraid and continue to remain true to their stance.

It is pertinent to mention here that the Samyukta Kisan Morcha, an umbrella body of 40 farmers’ unions, has decided to stage demonstrations outside Raj Bhawans across the country today (June 26) to mark seven months since they started protesting against the Centre’s three farm laws on the Delhi borders.

The farmers said they will observe the day as “Kheti Bachao, Loktantra Bachao Diwas”.

SKM said that memorandums addressed to the President of India will be handed over to state governors on the day.

Further, the SKM on Friday submitted a memorandum to President Ram Nath Kovind urging him to direct the Centre to immediately repeal the three “anti-farmer laws”.

Through its memorandum, the SKM said, it conveyed the “anguish and deep anger” of crores of farming families of the country to the president.

To put the latest demonstrations in context, it is imperative to mention that on November 26 last year, a large number of farmers had reached Delhi’s borders after facing water cannons and police barriers as part of their “Delhi Chalo” march against the Centre’s three farm laws.

In the following months, farmers in large numbers from across the country joined the protest at Tikri, Singhu and Ghazipur borders around the national capital.

The farmers are demanding that the Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, Farmers’ (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020 and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020 be rolled back and a new law made to guarantee minimum support price for crops.

The government, on the other hand, maintains that the three agricultural acts are pro-farmer and will bring in new farming technologies.

Several rounds of negotiations between farmers and government officials have failed to break the impasse over these controversial regulations.