Celebrations erupt in Maharashtra after repeal of Centre’s farm laws

Nearly 1500 km away from the epicentre of the yearlong farmers agitation celebrations erupted in Maharashtra on Friday after Prime Minister Narendra Modi abruptly announced the yanking off of the three contentious farm laws taking the nation by surprise akin to the demonetisation broadcastblastFarmers and local leaders trooped out in places like Sangli Palghar Thane Nashik Satara Kolhapur and other places to cheer the Prime Ministers declaration coming barely a week before the upcoming first anniversary of the peasants protests by lighting fireworks distributing sweets dancing hugging each other with joy playing drums offering thanksgiving prayers and general revelryMaharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray currently convalescing could not contain his excitement and said the farmers who are the breadwinners of the country deserved 3 Salutes after their long struggle ended in victoryI welcome PM Modis announcement on Guru Nanak Jayanti There was an atmosphere of strong opposition to the 3 laws all over India But the breadwinners who were victimised showed their strength Thackeray saidChiding the Central government he said the government should take into confidence all stakeholders including the Opposition before taking such decisions and this would have prevented the humiliation of todayThackeray the Shiv Sena President also expressed optimism that the technicalities of the repeal process of the laws would be expedited since the farmers agitation has still not endedMaha Vikas Aghadi ally and Nationalist Congress Party NCPpresident Sharad Pawar said he salutes the spirit of the peasants who braved the heat cold rains labelled as terrorists and inflicted other forms of humiliation with many lives lost but they finally achieved victoryThe government rushed through the bills in Parliament without heeding to the Opposition demands for discussion The government will have to pay the price for its mistakes Elections are coming to Punjab and Uttar Pradesh and people were bound to question them on the three farm laws Pawar pointed outWe said in Parliament that agriculture is the soul of this country and economy to solve the problems of hunger and it 3 laws must discuss in details while enacting the laws relating to the famers Pawar saidState Congress president Nana Patole said that it was the fear of defeat in the coming elections that forced the arrogant and dictatorial government to bow before the united strength of the farmersNot only the elections the growing disenchantment among the masses has brought the BJP government to its knees They are withdrawing the 3 laws It is a historic victory for the farmers struggle But the BJP will have to face the consequences Patole warnedHe said in Maharashtra the Congress had collected over six million farmers signatures and sent a memorandum to the President the peasant protested on the border for a year under trying circumstances but the Prime Minister had no time to meet them though over 700 lost their livesPatole said after the recent string of defeats in bypolls the BJP reduced the petroldiesel prices now the farm laws but the battle ahead will continue for other farmercentric issues alsoShiv Senas farmerface and Vasantrao Naik Sheti Swavalamban Samiti President Kishore Tiwari accorded an MoS status said that after the 12month long struggle the farmers and people of the country have understood the real motives of the BJP government and how it is working for a handful of big industrialistsHundreds of farmers have been martyred to the cause The country has lost faith in the Narendra Modi government they will show the BJP its place in the next elections The historic agitation has served its purpose the government has suffered a huge setback Tiwari saidHowever he said that the unending farmers suicides will not end Maharashtra being the highest in the country as per official data till the BJP government takes this opportunity to bring about fundamental changes in the existing setup to genuinely benefit the peasantry as a long term solution to the end bloodshed in farmlandsTop leaders of MVA from Shiv Sena NCP Congress Samajwadi Party Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana All India Kisan Sabha farm activists and others have hailed Modis move urging that now its time to get back to business and do something longlasting for the cause of the countrys ryotsIncidentally Maharashtra had contributed by sending several busloads of people at various intervals to the farmers protesting outside Delhi borders and many top leaders visiting and addressingThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever