Agri Laws Have Opened Up New Possibilities for Farmers, Says PM Modi on 'Mann ki Baat' Amid Protests

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said the Centre’s agriculture laws had opened up new possibilities for farmers, even as thousands continued their protest against the laws at the Singhu and Tikri border points.

“The Parliament of India gave legal shape to agricultural reforms. These reforms have not only ended many bonds of farmers, but they have also got new rights, new opportunities too,” said Modi, addressing the nation through his monthly radio programme ‘Mann Ki Baat’.

He said new dimensions were being added to agriculture and its related activities in India. “The agricultural reforms in the past few days have also now opened new doors of possibilities for our farmers. Committed to the welfare of the hardworking Indian farmer,” he said.

After spending another night in cold, thousands of farmers continued to protest against the Centre’s new agriculture laws on the fourth consecutive day on Sunday staying put at the Singhu and Tikri border points, with farmer leaders deliberating upon their future course of action about proposed talks with the government. With many roads and entry points being blocked, Union Home Minister Amit Shah had appealed to the farmers to shift to the Burari ground and said the Centre was ready to hold discussions with them as soon as they move to the designated place.

Talking about the Covid-19 pandemic, Modi said it had almost been a year since the world saw its first case of the deadly disease. “Coming out of the lockdown, now the discussion on a vaccine has commenced. However, any sort of negligence towards coronavirus can be deadly even now. We have to firmly keep fighting against the disease,” he said.

Modi on Saturday visited Ahmedabad, Hyderabad and Pune to review the development and manufacturing process of coronavirus vaccines at facilities in these cities. He visited the Zydus Biotech Park in Ahmedabad, Bharat Biotech in Hyderabad and Serum Institute of India in Pune.

He also informed the nation that an ‘Annapurna’ idol which had been stolen from Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh years ago, was being returned to India by the Canadian government. He said amid Covid-19, regular attempts were ongoing to digitalise more museums, including the Ajanta caves.

The PM added that winters were on its threshold, and the internet was replete with pictures of beautiful cherry blossoms from Shillong.

Ahead of Guru Nanak Jayanti on Monday, Modi said the legacy of ‘langars’ of feeding needy people had continued through the Covid-19 pandemic by Sikh communities.

The PM also lauded Dr Gaurav Sharma, one of the youngest and newly-elected MPs in New Zealand, who on Wednesday took oath in Sanskrit in the country’s Parliament. Sharma, 33, hailing from Himachal Pradesh’s Hamirpur, was recently elected as the Member of Parliament from the Labour Party for Hamilton West in New Zealand.

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