हिंदी
Chandigarh Sept 21 The Shiromani Akali Dal president Sardar Sukhbir Singh Badal today “ outrightly rejected” the Rs 50 per quintal hike in the Minimum Suuport Price of wheat for the forthcoming season announced by the centre.
Mr Badal described the hike as “utterly inadequate” and said that this comes as a “huge disappointment” to the farmers who are already battling unremunerative prices of their produce.
Mr Badal said that for other crops MSP announced by the centre is meaningless in the absence of assured procurement of those crops. He said the increase in msp would not even cover the increased costs of inputs including diesel.
Your Excellency, the President of India,
We, the following members of the Shiromani Akali Dal , thank your excellence for agreeing to listen to the sentiments and the voice of the millions and millions of farmers through us.
For almost a century now, the Shiromani Akali Dal has passionately, effectively and forcefully championed the cause of the farmers, the farm labour, the Dalits and other socially and economically downtrodden sections of society. When the hour comes for us to be counted on one side of the dividing line between exploitation and the exploited, the party has always stood unflinchingly with the downtrodden and the exploited classes.
Such an hour is upon us now.
We have a legacy of struggle and sacrifice in the defense of Panthic values. In this legacy, fighting against injustice against the poor and the defenseless is among the highest virtues preached to us by the great Guru Sahiban, saints and seers. The farmers especially in Punjab have always looked up to us to raise our voice in defense of their causes. The party has a tradition of always living up to their expectations. That tradition and that legacy will be preserved for ever.
As you are aware, the Government of India has pushed three bills in the Parliament on the issue of marketing of agricultural produce. The ruling party enjoys a huge majority in the Parliament and has used those numbers to bypass the time-honoured democratic traditions of taking the Opposition and allies into confidence and building a national consensus on critical issues. Such a consensus is so vital in a democracy, especially on issues which, if neglected, have the potential to disturb social harmony and peace in the country . But what we saw in the parliament, especially the Rajya Sabha yesterday is the most unfortunate and sad. It cast a dark shadow on our democratic traditions as it short-circuited the accepted norms, procedures and conventions of the parliamentary democracy. The issues at stake required in-depth consideration as the concerned bills for legislation have a strong bearing on the vital and sensitive interests of the stake holders – the farmers, the khet and Mandi mazdoors , the Arhtiyas and the Dalits. These segments constitute over 70% of our country’s population. The bills have an implication for even the remaining 30% as agriculture is the backbone of our entire economy. Therefore, it was so necessary for the government to take the direct stake-holders in this initiative on board.
But the bills have since been passed and are being sent to your good self for presidential assent.
It is my/our humble plea that you may kindly withhold assent to these bills and send them back to the parliament for reconsideration.
Meanwhile, kindly advise the government of India to take the stake holders and the political parties like the Shiromani Akali Dal who have always articulated the interests and concerns of these stake holders.
The Founding Fathers of our Constitution created the provision for presidential intervention in matters of national interest precisely for such occasions when a government enjoying overwhelming majority in the parliament rushes through with legislation without showing respect for and sensitivity to the widespread public opinion and resentment against it. The president’s role as a conscience keeper of the nation and the custodian of the constitution is built into the Statute precisely for such occasions. There has never been more pressing and urgent situation than the present one necessitating the exercise of the Presidential discretion to seek a review of the government’s decision on issues of national interest.
Your Excellency, the farmers, farm and Mandi labour and the Arhtiyas have been forced to agitate on the streets across the country, braving immense odds. They are agitating for a cause which is not only just but a cause on which the future of our nation as strong economic power depends. It is such a touching spectacle that farmers who are our Annadata themselves wear a starved look on their faces these days.
The Shiromani Akali Dal firmly and wholeheartedly stands shoulder to shoulder with the farmers and others who are being forced to take to the streets to protest against these Bills. In a country which swears by “Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan”, the two brave armies, who make sacrifices for the defense of our borders and for food security respectively, deserve the highest respect. Instead, hands that proudly produce food so that no one in the country goes to sleep on an empty stomach are now forced to be raised just to safeguard their own survival. The farmers came to the rescue of the country when it faced famines, starvation and virtual economic slavery to foreign powers and had to go around world capitals with a begging bowl in hand. The farmers, especially those from Punjab, Haryana and Western UP, not only saved the country from starvation but also put it on a high pedestal and restored its dignity in the comity of nations.
Having ensured the survival of the nation, the farmers today are confronted with issues that endanger their own survival. They came to the country’s rescue when the country needed them. Today, it is the country that must come t their rescue.
We the members of the Shiromani Akali Dal delegation are grateful to Your Excellency for agreeing to heed the sentiments of millions and millions of beleaguered farmers, farm and Mandi labourers , arhtiyas and Dalits the farmers through us. We have no doubt that you would kindly act on the basis of these sentiments and not only send the concerned Bills back to the parliament for reconsideration but would also use your exalted position as the nation’s conscience keeper to advise the government to send these Bills to a Select Committee of Parliamentarians which could then take the stake holders on board before presenting these bills to the parliament again.
