April 27, 2015
Trinamool blasts CPM, Cong, BJP over farmers/land
The leader of the party in Rajya Sabha, Derek O’Brien today blasted the CPI(M), Congress and BJP in the Rajya Sabha during a discussion on farmer suicides and agrarian crisis in India. He accused the CPI(M) of shedding crocodile tears over farmers because between 1990-2005 there was 19331 farmer suicides in Bengal.
Derek O’Brien also said that Mamata Banerjee was the only leader fighting for the rights of farmers in 2006, when she went on a 26-day hunger strike. Trinamool has been consistent on the issue of land acquisition. “UPA-II’s land bill was a bad bill. We think the bill by this government is a draconian bill,” he said. He also reminded the House that in 2013, Trinamool was the only party to vote against the land bill.
Derek also made some constructive suggestions to solve the agrarian crisis in the country. He suggested other States follow the Bengal model of distribution of Kisan Credit Cards. He urged the government to protect the jute farmers and increase the MSP for rice. He also highlighted how the Bengal government handled the potato crisis through a series of measures. He also suggested the government to use science and digital technology to boost productivity.
Urging everyone to rise above politics for the sake of farmers, Derek O’Brien warned the government that the land bill was going nowhere.
Click here for the full transcript of his speech
