Celebrating the Indian Farmer: Farmer’s Day 2020
By: Ashutosh Singla
Tags: Farmers Day, Social Change, Farm Laws, Protest, Coronavirus

2020 has been really tough. There is no doubt that people worldwide, from separate walks of life, belonging to various cultures, coming from different backgrounds have gone through the most challenging period of their lives this year. The lifestyle of most of us has gone through drastic changes, and honestly, many of us were not ready for these challenges, be it physically, financially, or mentally. Still, many have survived, but a large section of the society has suffered losses, losses way beyond repair now. Even though this cursed year is ending, and a brighter and hopeful 2021 is approaching, some situations have worsened to such an extent that rewinding and restoring them to the original condition seems unfeasible.

Let us come closer to home and look back at what this unprecedented year had in store for India. When reports of the novel coronavirus emerged in January, few would have predicted the impact the virus would eventually have on the subcontinent. By March, Covid-19 had rocked the entire world and had encroached upon every possible sphere of human life. Throughout the year, ‘bad’ news was on the rise.

The Indian Farmer has to be the one who suffered throughout the year. In the different phases of the pandemic, the farmer’s sufferings have increased and increased. Initially, the lockdown hampered various industrial services like transportation, cold chains, and markets. When the country was trying to undo the pandemic’s effects, India was under a massive locust attack that further deteriorated the agricultural produce and income.

However, the Indian farmer still stood tall against this mountain of problems. Around September 2020, the Government of India took a major step in re-designing the process of product procurement. Since then, the country’s farmers have been at loggerheads with the central government. The ensuing protests and agitations against these bills, which have been largely deemed anti-peasant, has united the farmers nationwide in a single fight against the government. Instead of nurturing the Indian soil, sowing hopes for a better future, and reaping happiness for the entire nation, the Indian farmer has flocked on the roads, organizing hunger strikes and dharnas. He has been sleeping in the open, under the moon, in this shivering temperature, without any blanket to protect against the cold, cruel winds, without any proper comfort, without any reassurance from the government, but with hope. Hope that someone in New Delhi is listening to their painful cries, hope that someone in the newsroom is reporting their condition and demanding justice for them, hope that the country’s citizens, whom they have been feeding for their entire life, sympathize with them.

The most disturbing thing for the average Indian right now is that all of this happens when the nation is gearing up for the upcoming National Farmer’s Day. The underlying irony is horrifying and shocking. The Kisan Diwas is celebrated every year on 23rd December to mark the birthday of the fifth Prime Minister of the country, Chaudhary Charan Singh, who was committed to the nation’s farmers' well-being. Born in a peasant family, Charan Singh was known for his farmer-friendly policies. Even though his tenure as the Prime Minister was short, he worked diligently for the farmers' welfare. He introduced several schemes and drafted welfare policies, playing a pivotal role in bringing the issues of small and marginal farmers to the forefront. The day is observed to pay tribute to the vital contributions and sacrifices that the farmers make every day to ensure food on our plates. One of the greater aims of the day is to spread awareness among the general public towards the invaluable contribution the farmers make for the overall social and economic development of the country. In many states of the country, various programs and workshops are organized to educate farmers about the benefits of the modern and latest technology, proper use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, and accessing services like raising loans from the banks and various new ideas.

Just like most of the events this year, Farmer’s Day is going to be sad too. And mind you, it is not because of the coronavirus. It is because the hero of the day would be out on the streets, begging for justice from the very authorities who would be celebrating them in lucrative functions and programs. Inspiring speeches will be given, promises will be made, and events symbolizing the ‘modern’ and ‘powerful’ Indian farmer will be organized. But this year, Farmer’s Day will be special because the dark reality will be directly in front of our eyes, signifying a nation’s failure to provide its ‘providers’ respect, dignity, and quality of life.

NSS IITR fully supports and stands for all the steps and initiatives that are being taken in favor of this country's farmers. In this great war for justice, we wholeheartedly extend our support for the farmer’s cause. However, this does not mean that we are holding the central government responsible for the farmers' treatment and condition. There have been various reports pertaining to the massive amount of misinformation among the farmers, especially the small and the independent ones who are being tricked and misguided by the bigger and more influential market players. We also do not find ourselves capable enough of making a comment on the underlying economics and politics of the new farm laws. The protest might have even lost its original meaning and, to many, seems to be headed in a new different direction, but it does make one think that all is still not well in modern India.

This Farmer’s Day, we oppose all those negative elements of the society who have forced the hard-working peasant of this great country into a state of despair and confusion, be it the central government, the middlemen, the big corporates, or even some of the farmers themselves. This is because we understand that the Indian farmer has done a lot for this country, and he certainly does not deserve to be treated like this.