1. Thousands of farmers across states gathered on the streets in protest against the agriculture-related ordinances the central government is planning to introduce.
2. They are opposing the Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Ordinance, the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Ordinance, and an amendment in the Essential Commodities Act, 1955.
3. All these have been tables as bills for discussion during the ongoing Monsoon sessions. Farmers are demanding a rollback of these ordinances.
4. The farmer unions claim that the ordinances will not only phase out the Minimum Support Prices but will also bring about corporate dominance.
5. The government, on the other hand, claims that these ordinances are pro-farmers and will provide barrier-free trade for their produce outside notified grain markets.
6. The commissions’ agents, who buy the harvested products and lend money to poor farmers, are also opposing these ordinances. They fear that if these ordinances are passed, they will be rendered jobless.
7. Despite being opposed by half a dozen political parties led by the Congress and NDA ally Shiromani Akali Dal, the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill, 2020 was passed by the Lok Sabha on 15th September.
