Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday launched a spirited defence of his government's attempts to reform the agricultural sector.
Modi was speaking to farmers via videoconference at a 'Kisan Kalyan' event organised by the Madhya Pradesh government in Raisen district. It was expected up to 20,000 farmers would take part in the event.
Batting for rapid reform in the agricultural sector, Modi said, "In a rapidly changing global scenario, the situation in India cannot be accepted as the farmer becomes helpless due to lack of facilities and modern methods. It is already too late. The works that should have been done 25-30 years ago are now being done."
Modi declared, "India's agriculture, India's farmers, can no longer live in backwardness. The modern amenities available to the farmers of the big countries of the world should be provided to the farmers of India also; this cannot be delayed any longer."
Referring to the three farm laws, Modi said, "There is a lot of discussion about new laws made for farmers in the country in the past few days."
Modi explained, "These agricultural reform laws did not come overnight. Every government in the last 22 years had discussed this [need for agricultural reforms] extensively. Most [farmers'] organisations have debated it."
Modi then hit out at the opposition for alleged hypocrisy on the issue of agricultural reforms. "In fact, the farmers of the country should ask for answers from those who first kept writing about these reforms in their manifestos, collecting the votes of the farmers, but did nothing. They only postponed these demands and the farmers of the country kept waiting,” Modi said.
"I think their [opposition's] pain is not about why agricultural laws were reformed. They have a problem with how Modi used to do the work we used to say but could not do.." Modi added.
"I request all political parties with folded hands: Please keep all the credit [for agricultural reform]. I'm giving credit to all your old election manifestos. I just want ease in the life of farmers, I want their progress and want modernity in agriculture: Please stop tricking the farmers and confusing them," Modi exhorted.
Modi alleged the opposition was firing from the shoulders of farmers. Modi faulted the opposition for not implementing recommendations of the M.S. Swaminathan Commission. "The Swaminathan Commission report is a great proof of how ruthless the people talking about farmers are. These people kept delaying the recommendations of the Swaminathan Commission for 8 years," Modi said, referring to the opposition.
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Modi said his government, "took out the report of the Swaminathan Commission thrown in a pile of files and implemented its recommendations, giving MSP of one-and-half times the cost to the farmers".
"If we wanted to remove MSP, why would we implement Swaminathan Commission report? Our government is serious about the MSP, that's why we declare it before sowing season every year. This makes it easy for farmers to make calculations," Modi declared.
Modi faulted the Congress for not implementing its promises of a waiver of farm loans in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan.