AIBOC, AIBOA and INBOC Express Solidarity With Farmers Agitation Against Farmer Bills And Privatisation Moves In Agricultural Sector

AlBOC, AIBOA and INBOC, the three officers’ organisations in the banking industry expresses their total solidarity with the widespread agitations and the ongoing protest rally of the farmers’ organisations at Delhi-Haryana border at Singhu. The strong anguish of the farmers is not only for the repeal of the two new farm laws, the reversal of amendments to the Essential Commodities Act and shelving of the Electricity Bill, 2020, but also directly against the govt. the policy of pri- vatisation of the very concept of ‘welfare state’.

The three contentious bills have come as a major disappointment to the citizenry of India. Farmers’ organisations are unequivocally demanding implementation of MNREGA scheme and universal social security support systems, including health care support for the farmers. We feel that the deep crisis in India’s agrarian sector goes beyond the features of the new farm bills. It is the result of systematic crippling of farmers’ interests and agricultural productivity by successive governments. We salute the struggle of the group of courageous people to confront the government resistant to talks.

Most disturbingly, the govt although called the organisations for discussion purportedly to break the deadlock, none of the genuine demands of the farmers was practically heeded. The just demands for the continuation of minimum support price and public distribution system have been paid scant attention. Instead, the proposition has been made by the Central Government to set up a panel, which would in effect defuse and kill the protest actions.

Several repressive measures are being resorted to such as tear-gassing and water cannoning at Delhi border amidst the biting cold of Northern India, besides imposition of false cases on the struggling farmers and leaders of the farmers’ organisations. AIBOC/AIBOA/INBOC strongly condemns such atrocities and inhumane actions on the country’s peas- antry, who have already been experiencing lots of oddities including revenue loss and job loss on account of the recent COVID-19 pandemic.

The peasants constitute 80% of the customer base of the public sector banks, regional rural banks, co-operative banks and old generation private banks and thus are major stakeholders of India’s banking system. They are now on warpath against the ill-conceived motives of disorienting agricultural production and subjecting it to uncertainties of global de- mand and supply, thereby compromising the very characters of public procurement and public distribution systems pre- vailing in the country. Our whole-hearted support remains with this struggle of the tillers of the country for ensuring earning their livelihood with legitimate protection and dignity.

AIBOC, AIBOA and INBOC urges upon the government to initiate meaningful dialogue to resolve the impasse by referring the bills to a select committee by a special Presidential Order, as the bills were given ascent by the Hon’ble President of India. Our nation needs peace and main stakeholders of the nation should not be made to suffer, as Agriculture sector alone performed positively in the Covid-19 pandemic, which reflects the inherent strength of the sector.