The Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee on Thursday announced that it will stage a sit-in protest against the three new farmers bills on Friday at the Congress bhavan in Imphal.
Kishan Congress MPCC chairman Laitonjam Thoiba said in a release on Thursday that the sit-in protest will be a part of the nationwide protests against the controversial farmers bills. However, COVID-19 protocols and other guidelines issued by the government will be followed during the protest demonstration, the MPCC said.
The MPCC added that it will observe ‘Kishan Mazdoor Bachao Divas’ (Save farmers and farm labourers), with the demand for immediate withdrawal of the bills.
MPCC president Moirangthem Oken, leader of Congress Legislature Party Okram Ibobi Singh, and Gaikhangam and other party members will take part in the protest, the release added.
The three farmers bills were recently passed in Parliament. The farm bills are the Farmers Produce Trade and Commerce( Promotion and Facilitation) Bill and Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance.
Earlier too, on September 27, the MPCC had assured that it will fully participate in the campaign and defend the rights of the farmers. In a video released by MPCC vice president and spokesperson Kh Devabratta, he contended that the Farmers Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020; Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Bill, 2020 and Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill, 2020 were passed in violation of the rich parliamentary tradition of the country.
“It is unfortunate that the opposition and not a single member of the Lok Sabha were given an opportunity to debate, argue and give their opinion on the three bills... The nature of how the bills were passed was unconstitutional and unparliamentary,” Devabratta had said.
Further stating that the three bills are anti-people, he maintained that the bills once implemented might place the agricultural sector at the hands of few players in the market.
“There will be complete disruption in the farmers’ occupation, the food supply chain and even in the implementation of technology in the agricultural sector. The agricultural sector will be wholly dictated by the whims and fancies of the private sector, which should not be allowed,” Devabratta added. He also appealed to the people of Manipur and the country to support the nationwide campaign of the Congress party against the bills.
On September 26, several groups, including the Manipur Loumi Lup, Manipur Loumi Marup and Agramy Kisan Sabha had organised a protest meeting followed by a rally in Imphal.
