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Hyderabad: In the saga of Ramayana, Goddess Sita, believed to be the offspring of Mother Earth, was subjected to Agni Pareeksha (the test of fire). The Indian farmer, who is also inseparably connected to the soil, is facing a similar test today. The farmers’ siege of the national capital has completed a month. The siege is being laid in protest against the three Central three farm laws, which the farmers allege are against their interests. There was hope that the Prime Minister in a speech on the Christmas day would make proposals that would end the farmer's agitation. While all such hopes were dashed to the ground, the Prime Minister chose to allege that rumours were being spread about the new farm laws introduced by his government. The Center is saying that it is ready to amend the laws, while the farmers are seeking nothing short of total repeal. The Center is stating that it would not be proper to inject the support price issue into the talks.
When the country was in the grip of Covid pandemic, the Center proposed the laws as part of the Atma Nirbhar Bharat package. Without consulting States or farmers’ bodies, the Center first issued ordinances and then got the Parliament’s approval and Presidential assent to the three bills without any debate on the floor of the house.
In the month of April, Dr Swaminathan had suggested that in view of the prevailing Covid pandemic, the government should intervene in the market to ensure remunerative price to farmers.
Apart from seeking enhancement of the financial assistance to farmers under the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi to Rs 15000, he also sought to bring the harvesting activities under the purview of the rural employment guarantee scheme.
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Farmers are lamenting that instead of supporting the farmers by giving effect to Dr Swaminathan’s recommendations, the Center brought laws that would mortgage their lives and future to corporate bodies. Instead of prolonging the stalemate and taking the annulment of laws as a matter of personal prestige, the NDA government should act with wisdom to resolve the issue
When the nation was caught in the fangs of hunger over five and a half decades ago, the minimum support price regime, the agriculture Mundy system and FCI procurements helped strengthen the green revolution. The farmer never took the path of protest or agitation even when the Minimum support Price became a cruel joke as it could not prevent the suicides committed by 3 lakh farmers in the past twenty-five years. It is a matter to be understood as to why the farmer is seeking a law for the support price. It is feared by the agitating farmers that the new laws that pave the way for the corporate farming would totally annihilate the Mundy system and the FCI would be withdrawn from the procurement of grains. It is apprehended that this will totally obliterate the minimum support price. The fear was further aggravated by the provisions of the new laws which refused to the farmer the democratic right to approach court whenever any dispute arose in contract farming. The law gave the power to settle such disputes in contract farming to the government officialdom. That is the reason behind the farming community’s shrill cry for the minimum support price.
The price-fixing panel has also recommended that the farmer will feel confident if he is given the right to sell his produce for a minimum support price. Way back in 2006, Dr Swaminathan Commission had stipulated the manner in which the support price is to be fixed. During the 2014 elections, the BJP had assured that it was committed to implementing the commission’s recommendations. However, it subsequently swept the matter under the carpet.
The Swaminathan Commission had stated that product manufacturers fix the price of their product taking into account the interest on their capital investment, production costs, salaries to the staff and other inputs. The commission had suggested that in the same manner at least 50 per cent of the weighted average cost of production should be added to the actual production costs related to farm produce. At a time when the farm sector is facing a crisis situation, how can farmers sustain themselves if proper support price and legality to minimum support price are denied to them?
The Center should act with wisdom and take the right decision on the rational demands being made by the protesting farmers.
