FARMERS’ PROTEST
By: Nisha Bhatele
Tags: Indian Farmer, Farm Bills 2020, Farmers Protest, Indian Farmer Suicides

FARMERS’ PROTEST

Are Indian Farmers getting framed?

Photo by Nandhu Kumar on Unsplash

Before beginning this article, I would like to pose three questions for you. You can answer it to yourself, write it out on medium, or send me too.

What do you think is the essence of a Democracy? Who is a farmer, according to you, and what importance he/she has in your life? What method would you like to opt for when someone else’s decision oppresses you if that decision affects your survival? Will you rather walk away from the problem or face and oppose it?

I am writing to highlight the events that are currently going on in India with Indian farmers.

In Sept 2020, Indian Central Govt. passed three bills that stated to improvise the farmers’ financial conditions by offering different options to alleviate farmers’ hardships. These bills disturbed the Indian Farmers to such an extent that they decided to protest against these bills.

What are these bills, and why are farmers demanding its repeal?

To understand these, let’s go back to the past when other agricultural reforms took place.

During the 1960s and 1970s, many states enacted the APMC ( Agricultural Produce Market Committee) Regulation Acts. These were formed to alleviate farmers’ poverty and stop their exploitation by a higher-order private dealer. It stated that farmers could sell their produce at an auction in local markets directly to the government at a fixed minimum support price (MSP) and other private dealers. It doesn’t matter who the buyer could be, but the minimum price was fixed. This fixed-price became a new survival source for farmers. Under APMC, many mandis (local markets where farmers could sell their produce) were set up under state government. These mandis were the hub of multiple buyers. A farmer could take its products to any dealer and bargain according to his desire.

Now, what do the new bills offer?

There have been many discussions for decades on taking on the agricultural reforms since a majority of the population was assured of the malfunctioning of the older system.

What are the changes that are likely to take place in the Indian Farming system?

Farmer Produce Trade & Commerce (Promotion & Facilitation), 2020

According to the first-mentioned bill, the farmers can eliminate the middlemen. However, farmers are worried because they think they are being exposed to privatization. The government will exclude APMC Mandis. Private dealers in Mandis won’t need to pay any tax. And this act will also remove the geographical restrictions. Farmers could go to other states as well as where they could get a fair price for their produce. Thus this act is likely to expose farmers to those corporate buyers who have more bargaining power and resources. Nearly 80% of Indian farmers do not own enough land (less than 2 hectares) to negotiate with big corporate dealers.

Farmers (Empowerment & Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance & Farm Services, 2020

We can refer to this bill as Contract Farming. According to this, farmers can sell their produce directly to private contractors bypassing the government. Farmers can enter into agreements with big Agro-firms, exporters, or large buyers to produce crops at a pre-decided price. If, by any means, farmers couldn’t grow and not meet the firm’s requirements, then according to the agreement, this might be a significant loss for farmers. They can not go to the court for any deceit but have to go to the district admin. A majority of farmers do not find it easy to deal with corporates who have qualified lawyers. The farmers think that they would likely to succumb to death if this happens. If MSP is removed, there won’t be any government control over prices, and big corporate buyers will do what they would likely do.

Essential Commodities (Amendment), 2020

This Essential commodity bill is related to the hoarding piles of crops. This law allows economic agents to hoard (store) food items freely without any fear of persecution. Earlier, hoarding of crops was illegalized because it could lead to black marketing. Similar is likely to happen again once this bill gets out.

The Problematic Farm Bills

Photo by Gabriel Jimenez on Unsplash

The bills mentioned above passed in sept have been facing protests since then. Farmers and their unions have been protesting for months. But this protest recently got into the limelight when farmers from Punjab and Haryana and other nearby states like Uttar Pradesh decided to march to Delhi, the national capital, to oppose. This is just like during India’s Independence struggle in the mid 20thcentury. But, like other recent protests in India, it also met Police resistance. The borders are sealed, highways were blocked. Water cannons and tear gas are getting fired over these peace-wanting farmers. As a consequence, the farmers got more agitated and stirred up.

Various national and international unions and agricultural experts claim these bills to be Anti-Farmer and Pro-Corporation. They think that these laws will affect vulnerable farmers to exploitation. It will decrease their per capita income and undermine their negotiating power. The MSP gives farmers a certainty that they are at least getting the minimum support price. It assures that government will buy the farmer’s produce when no other buyer is ready. With MSP, there is no way that farmers would be at a loss. But with this MSP gone, they would be in a fret. And the number of farmers’ suicide in the country will likely increase since farmers wouldn’t have anything to survive upon. As a result, poverty, unemployment, and debt will increase, which is already too much.

The Indian Central government is still justifying these laws as pro-farmers. They have been saying that these bills will allow farmers to choose from many available options. Farmers could participate in Private Investment to increase their growth.

However, why can the government not see the most prominent option that could benefit farmers? Don’t you think, just by increasing the MSP value, farmers could get to live up to their best?

If the bills are pro-farmers, then why so much chaos? Punjab and Haryana are the two most prominent agricultural states where MSP is working and working well. The farmers don’t want their MSP removed. If the government wants to do good for farmers, assure them of their MSP instead of firing tear shells and water cannons.

The farmers want to get assured of their MSP. And it’s been two weeks since the protest started. Why can’t government and media support them instead of calling them politicized, Khalistan, or terrorists?

The farmers are not in 100s or 500s. They are in tens of thousands, have been protesting for two weeks in this shivering cold. You can find youngsters, men-women, the elderly, and everyone in this protest. They came to talk and get their problem solved. But what did the government order to do? The government ordered to fire tear gas and cold water on them? Seriously? The central government asked the Delhi government to convert stadiums into temporary jails. For what? The Indian news channels except one or two have been continuously calling out these farmers terrorists. Are these miserable farmers fighting for their rights to survive, looking you like terrorists?

Democracy is not just about choosing a government with people’s votes. It is about listening to your people. You have the right to protest against any decision that you think could affect your life. You have the right to use your voice against the ruling party. You have the right to ask questions to the government. If a government is not respecting people’s fundamental rights, discriminating among mighty and merciful, is that government worth saving? Is that government democratic?

TO BE CONT.