Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi on Tuesdayexhorted Prime Minister Narendra Modi to accept his proposal for completewaiver of farmers and farm labourers' debt, adding the state is ready to takeover its share of debt burden along with the government of India.
In a letter to the Prime Minister, Channi emphasised theneed to frame a Centre-State shared scheme of an appropriate ratio spread oversome time with proper modalities to handle this issue and end the debt offarmers and farm labourers once and for all.
"Despite the stressed revenues of the stategovernment, no sacrifice would be big enough than the weight of this moralobligation that we owe to farmer fraternity," the Chief Minister wrote ina two-page letter.
Urging the Prime Minister, Channi said: "We asstakeholders are ready to commit ourselves to any new arrangement that isdecided mutually between all the stakeholders."
"I know some people will question us with economicsheets in their hands but Sir, do remember that tomorrow when neither me noryou are here then we will be judged. There will be a reckoning. It will eithercome from ourselves and our own conscience or it will come from our generationswhen they will ask that inconvenient question of what were we doing or what wedid for those who fed us and for those who carried out the biggest democraticstruggle of independent India.
"Let history judge us by our deeds and that, whenthe moment of reckoning arrived, we did not shudder with fear but boldly turnedthe tide," the letter reads.
Reminding Modi about announcement of annulment of thethree farm laws by him, Channi said the farmers and the government has moved astep closer to resolving some major pending issues which have taken centrestage along with the demand to repeal three farm laws.
"The foremost of course being the issue ofagricultural debt."
Channi further said very recently the leadership offarmers had met him in Chandigarh with their demands and only one major issuethat remained pending at his level sans a resolution was the issue of farmdebt.
"A glittering ray of hope has, however, shone aftergovernment of India's changed stance."
Pointing out further, the Chief Minister said the farmersof Punjab are the one who picked up the gauntlet of food security of the nationand became the bulwark of green revolution.
Striking an emotional chord, Channi said: "When theytoiled on the soil, their sons defended the sensitive borders with their lives.
"Today's India is indebted to these sons of soil. Iam of the firm opinion that this great nation, which they have served fordecades, now owes a moral obligation to shake its inertia and write offcomplete agricultural debt, including that of farm labour, till date.
"No banking or non-banking institution should knockthe doors of our farmers or farm labour for recovery of agricultural loanswhich forms the root cause of suicides by the farmers and farm labour andstress in rural economy."