The CPIM-led LDF government called for a special assembly session on Wednesday, 23 December for a resolution against the contentious farm laws that were passed by the Centre earlier in October.
The decision was made in a cabinet meeting today presided by the Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.
PTI reported that only the leaders of the respective parties in the House will participate in the discussion. Both the LDF and the UDF are opposed to the three farm laws and the special assembly session is expected to reach a unanimous conclusion.
The CM’s office said in a press statement, “The cabinet has decided to recommend to the Governor to convene a special session of the assembly on December 23. The session has been called to discuss the three agricultural laws against which farmers have held country-wide agitations.”
Kerala Finance Minister Thomas Isaac corroborated the development, as he said in a Twitter post, “Kerala cabinet decided to convene a special session of the legislative assembly on 23rd December before the scheduled budget session to discuss and reject the controversial farm laws. Kerala is in solidarity with the farmers’ struggle.”
The meeting will be held in the backdrop of a farmers’ agitation that has been going strong ever since the laws were first passed by the Centre. For about four weeks now, many farmer’s organisations mainly from Punjab and Haryana have been camping at various locations around Delhi’s borders in the shivering cold.
Farmers believe that the three new laws will gradually dismantle the Minimum Support Price (MSP) and the Mandi system, leaving farmers at the mercy of powerful corporates. Despite repeated attempts by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to allay concerns, the farmers have not backed down.