Listen to farmers, former bureaucrats urge government

Extending help to the democratic and constitutional proper to peaceable protests by the farmers, a gaggle of former civil servants, belonging to All India and Central Services, in an open letter, mentioned the three farm sector legal guidelines “represent an assault upon the federal character of the Constitution”. The letter additionally demanded that the ruling dispensation “listens carefully to the demands being made and demonstrates its respect for democratic traditions, procedures and practices by engaging in dialogue inside and outside Parliament”.

Signed by 78 former bureaucrats, together with Chief Secretaries, Joint Secretaries and Director Generals of Police, the letter identified that there have been no consultations with farmers’ representatives earlier than the authorized means of bringing the legal guidelines.

“To start with, ordinances were issued during a colossal pandemic which deserved undiluted attention. When the Bills were introduced in Parliament in September, 2020, the demand to send them to Parliamentary Committees was denied. It is pertinent to point out that according to a newspaper report of September 2020, in recent times, the percentage of Bills scrutinised by Parliamentary Select Committees rose from 60% during UPA I (14th Lok Sabha) to a high of 71% during UPA II (15th Lok Sabha) but fell to 25% in NDA I (16th Lok Sabha). In the current Lok Sabha, very few Bills have been sent to Parliamentary Committees,” learn the letter, saying that its focus was on the violation of constitutional provisions and the breakdown of democratic processes on this saga and never the deserves and demerits of the three legal guidelines.

The letter additional identified that conserving with the federal construction of the Constitution and the vary and variety of State-specific wants, “agriculture” was at Entry 14 in List-II within the Seventh Schedule to the Constitution.

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“The subjects in this List are within the exclusive legislative jurisdiction of the States and it has been argued convincingly that the laws passed are, therefore, unconstitutional”.

Referring to earlier occasions, the letter mentioned the undermining of democratic processes and the full disregard for public session and comfort had been evident within the methods during which Article 370 was repealed, demonetisation was carried out with out warning or preparation, the Citizenship Amendment Act was introduced in and a lockdown ordered with hardly any discover, leading to untold struggling for tens of millions of migrant staff.

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“What is noteworthy and common to all these actions was a refusal to consult the people affected beforehand and a determination to not hold a dialogue afterwards. The facile option of labelling all those who disagree with one or other of the actions of the government as “anti-national”, “pro-Pakistani”, “award-vapasi gang”, “urban Naxals” and “Khan Market gang” is chosen to keep away from substantive dialogue and debate, the very coronary heart of the democratic course of, and to vilify and criminalise dissent,” the letter mentioned.

The signatories to the letter embrace former Chief Secretary, Rajasthan, Salahuddin Ahmad; Former Secretary, Coal, Chandrashekhar Balakrishnan and Former Director General, Indian Council of Cultural Relations, Suresh K. Goel.