Farmer unions to address queries on agri laws via webinar

New Delhi, December 22

The newly-formed social media cell of the farmers’ collective announced on Tuesday that a web conference would be conducted to address all queries regarding the three new farm laws and the protest against it.

The webinar, to be hosted on video conference platform Zoom on Thursday noon, will be open for the first “10,000 people” registering on the link, which they would disclose. Those who cannot make it to the first 10,000 can watch the webinar on social media platforms, it said.

“Senior farmer union leaders who are key members of the movement will be answering all sorts of queries during the webinar—be it on the farm laws or the ongoing agitation,” Baljeet Singh Sandhu, social media cell head and Majha Kisan committee vice president, said at a press conference at the Singhu border.

Sandhu also invited the likes of actors Kanagana Ranaut, Mukesh Khanna and Payal Rohatgi, who have been actively voicing their opinion against the farmers’ protest, to participate in the webinar and debate the matter.

Kisan Ekta Morcha, which is the official social media account, publishes updates on the farmer protests, videos of speeches given by union leaders and also counters what they call is “propaganda” pushed by the Centre.

Thousands of farmers from Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and other states are protesting against the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, the Farmers Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act.

Enacted in September, the three contentious laws have been projected by the central government as major reforms in the agriculture sector that would remove the middlemen and allow farmers to sell anywhere in the country.

However, the protesting farmers have expressed apprehension that the legislations would pave the way for eliminating the safety cushion of the minimum support price and end the traditional wholesale market system, leaving them at the mercy of big corporates.  PTI