After Canada remarks, Indian missions unleash ‘myth busters’ on farm laws

A day after India hit out at “ill-informed” comments by Canadian leaders on farmers’ protests in Delhi against new agricultural reform laws, it now transpires that Indian missions abroad have launched a campaign by sharing “myth busters” around the farm laws.

The missions have taken up issues such as Minimum Support Price (MSP), mandis and operation of agricultural produce market committees (APMCs).

The efforts seem to have been made after prominent Canadian leaders, including Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, spoke on the matter supporting the farmers’ right to peacefully protest.

During a virtual address to members of the Sikh community on the occasion of Guru Nanak Jayanti Monday, Trudeau said: “The situation is concerning. We are all very worried about family and friends. I know that’s a reality for many of you. Let me remind you, Canada will always be there to defend the rights of peaceful protest.”

Hours later, the Indian mission in Canada sought to quell “myths” around the three farm bills — Farmer’s Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020, The Farmer (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill, 2020 and The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill, 2020 — by retweeting relevant posts through its official Twitter handle.

Also read:Padma, Arjuna winners to return awards in support of protesting farmers

According to @MyGovIndia, it is a myth that “farm bills are a conspiracy to phase out the safety net of Minimum Support Price (MSP) to farmers” and the fact is “farm bills are not going to affect MSP at all. The MSP system will continue”.

The government has through this handle posted a number of slides with hashtag ‘mythbusters’ to share information about the farm laws.

Indian High Commissioner in Canada Ajay Bisaria had shared some of those slides on November 30.

On Tuesday (December 1), the Indian mission in France also shared a few tweets on “busting the myths about the new Agricultural Reforms”.

According to the posts, the farm law “clearly prohibits sale, lease or mortgage of farmers’ land. Agreement will be for crops and not for land” and that these bills will give “more options” to farmers.

The information was also shared by the respective official Twitter handles of the Indian missions in Pakistan and in Beijing.

Also read: Key Delhi-Noida route closed as thousands of farmers continue protest