Farmers’ interest should never be mixed with politics: Vice-Prez

| | Chandigarh
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Farmers’ interest should never be mixed with politics: Vice-Prez

Monday, 20 September 2021 | PNS | Chandigarh

Amid the ongoing farmers’ protest against three central farm laws, Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu on Sunday said that there should be continuous dialogue between the government and the farmers.

“Farmers’ interest should never be mixed with politics and to improve the condition of the farmer, the country will have to be transformed into a ‘one food zone’. The government is taking effective steps in the interest of farmers because agriculture in India is not just a business, it is the basis of Indian culture,” Naidu said while addressing a gathering after releasing five volumes of ‘Sir Chhotu Ram: Writings and Speeches’ brought out by the Haryana Academy of History and Culture in Gurugram.

Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, former Chief Minister Om Prakash Chautala, former Uttarakhand CM Vijay Bahuguna, former Union Minister Birender Singh were among those who attended the event. The Vice President said there should be an open market system to stop the exploitation of the farmers, which means the farmers of the country can go anywhere and sell their crop. This is in the interest of the country and also in the interest of the farmers, he said.

Naidu said that his own life has also been related to agriculture and even today he visits different parts of the country to know the condition of the farmers.

He also lauded farmers for not letting the country down during the Covid-19 pandemic, and called for an integrated approach towards rural economy to ensure income security for them.

“Our objective should be the overall well-being of the rural society. We need to develop an integrated approach towards the rural economy to ensure income security of our farmers,” he said.

Naidu praised the contributions of Sir Chhotu Ram for the cause of nation building. He suggested that copies of the publication should be available in public libraries and Panchayat Ghar so that the people could read and learn about the life and work of the great leader. He also reiterated the need to modernise agriculture and adopt best practices to make it more sustainable and remunerative. “Building on our past experiences, we must regularly revisit and renew our strategies on agriculture and rural development, and introduce new technologies as part of our efforts to build a self-reliant India,” he said.

Agriculture is the backbone of the Indian economy, and the country cannot progress if villages remain underdeveloped and backward, Naidu said.

He further said that many of our freedom fighters did not get the recognition they deserved, and called for efforts to spread awareness about their life and work.

Observing that the Independence movement was not just a political movement, he said, it had a deep social and economic reformist agenda as well. Mentioning that Sir Chhotu Ram was the first person to visualise the Bhakra Nangal dam on Sutlej river, the Vice President said he was a farmer’s son and had deep understating of farmers’ problems. He also praised the legendary leader for his bold initiatives in the field of social reform and education.

Naidu recalled Sir Chhotu Ram’s strong opposition to the partition of the country, saying he was a true nationalist who dreamt of a united and strong India. Sir Chhotu Ram was a man of renaissance, and he ushered in new ideas in polity, society and rural economy, he said. Younger generations should take inspiration from great personalities like Chhotu Ram, Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya, Ram Manohar Lohia and Chaudhary

Charan Singh and strive to build an “Atmanirbhar Bharat”, he added.

Complimenting former Union Minister Birendra Singh, the grandson of Sir Chhotu Ram, Naidu urged all State Governments to prepare similar compilations on prominent leaders. He also exhorted the youth “to read books on great leaders such as Chhotu Ram, visit historical

places such as their birthplaces and draw inspiration from their lives”.

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