Farm bills in Rajya Sabha: Validity of proceedings beyond question despite uproar

The unruly and unseemly scenes witnessed in the Rajya Sabha on September 20, 2020, following the so-called “illegal” passage of the farm Bills, made even the Leader of the Opposition, Ghulam Nabi Azad, admit that it was the last straw that broke the camel’s back. The Bills, which amounted to signing the death warrant of farmers, saw tumultuous passage with MPs breaking microphones and standing on tables.

Harivansh Narayan Singh, Deputy Chairman, Rajya Sabha, rued the “disrobing of democracy” by these wanton acts and announced a 24-hour fast to atone for their sins. His “Gandhian” gesture of offering a cup of tea to the suspended members who were fasting and protesting in front of Gandhi’s statue inside the Parliament premises, went unreciprocated.

The Bills were the Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020, and the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill, 2020. The sequence of events on that fateful day was as follows.

The revised List of Business for the day catalogued Statutory Resolutions moved by the Opposition to the effect that the House disapproves the ordinances pro­mulgated by the President of India on June 5, 2020, in respect of these two Bills, as well as the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Ordinance, 2020, promulgated simultaneously. Alongside were listed the three corresponding Bills for consideration and passing.

The common parliamentary practice is to take up the Statutory Resolution and the Bill together for discussion. Accordingly, the record of the proceedings of the House show that the Chairman decided to take up the Statutory Resolutions and the respective Bills relating to the two legislations of the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare together for consideration. After the moving of the Statutory Resolutions and the Bills, the Chairman invited members to move their amendments seeking to refer the two Bills to select committees of the Rajya Sabha. After doing so, discussion on all the matters relating to each Bill was taken up together.

The proceedings went smoothly with a large number of members speaking according to the time allotted to them, interspersed with the usual war of words and raising of points of order. In the end, the agriculture minister was invited to reply. In the course of his speech, the Deputy Chairman sought the permission of the House to extend its sitting till the disposal of the Bills. Some members, including Ghulam Nabi Azad, wanted the discussion to be carried over to the next day. The minister gamely continued and concluded his reply, amidst disturbances.

The Deputy Chairman then put the Statutory Resolution and the three amendments for reference of the first Bill to the select committee to a voice vote and decided that it had been negative. In view of the rising tempers and the Deputy Chairman advising certain members to resume their seats, the House was adjourned for 15 minutes. The motion moved by Narendra Singh Tomar for consideration of the Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020, was then put to vote and adopted. Adoption of the same process, amidst interruptions, led to passing of the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill, 2020. This, in short, is the parliamentary record of the proceedings.