News articles, media reports and social media websites are filled with the latest updates of the ongoing farmers’ protest which has effectively cut off Delhi from its neighbouring states.
The travel from the NCR to Delhi has become nothing short of a battle and with the businesses attempting to re-establish themselves after a long lockdown, people are waiting for a resolution of the farmers’ problems.
Broadly, farmers aren’t happy with the newly introduced legislation, namely, the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, the Farmers Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act.
While the government claims that the laws would help the small and marginal farmers, opposition parties and farmers themselves are touting them as anti-farmer.
In pursuit of a solution, five rounds of negotiations were held between the leaders among the farmers and the union government. The farmers have presented six key demands which may be too much to ask for. To know why, read further.
Demand 1: Make Minimum Support Price (MSP) And State Procurement Of All Crops A Legal Right
The Commission on Agricultural Cost and Prices (CACP), in its report to the union government in 2018, had mentioned the need to make MSP and state procurement of all crops a legal right to the farmers. This recommendation came after the government hiked the MSP for several crops.
This demand can have two-fold effects. Primarily, the storage capacity with the government isn’t that it can hold such huge amounts of crops. Several times we hear news of crops getting wasted due to lack of storage facilities. Any legal right would increase such problems.
The second issue with this demand is that the private players may refrain from buying the Indian crops in such instances and thus, the farmers will fail to get the maximum benefit.
This isn’t because the private players will want to loot farmers. It would be because MSP compulsion would bring legal consequences and it is difficult to prove if the farmer consented to sell on a lower price or not.
He may be selling his produce at less cost due to desperate needs and since corporations may not be able to prove consent, they’ll land up in a legal soup. This discouragement will adversely affect Indian farmers.
Read Also: Delhi Chalo Farmers Protest In Pictures; In Case You Didn’t Know Its Magnitude
Demand 2: Accept Recommendations Of The Swaminathan Committee On MSP
The Swaminathan Commission Report states that the government should raise the MSP to at least 50% more than the weighted average cost of production. It is also known as the C2+50% formula.
According to the report of Economic Times dated December 12, 2019, Union Minister Narendra Singh Tomar had declared that 200 recommendations of the Swaminathan Committee will be implemented, including the one mentioned above.
The government has agreed on the formula for only 22 crops for now and maybe later, after adequate consideration, it may be extended to other crops.
Demand 3: Repeal Commission On Air Quality Management In NCR And The Adjoining Ordinance 2020
The commission was set up by the central government via a notification in November 2020. It aims to curb the problem of air pollution in the NCR region. As we are all aware, Delhi gets engulfed by a thick blanket of smog every year in winters which lead to several health hazards.
The residents of Delhi and NCR are also compelled to follow the odd-even rule. However, the major contributor to air pollution in winters is the burning of stubble.
The adjoining ordinance was brought into effect to make laws for curbing air pollution more stringent. While this was done for the betterment of the country, the farmers demand it to be taken down.
The law provides for a fine up to Rs. 1 crore or jail of up to five years or both. The farmers, who burn stubble, are conscious of going to jail if they continue burning the stubble. Despite the raging need for laws against pollution, this demand of the farmers is utterly saddening.
Demand 4: Slash Diesel Price For Agricultural Use By 50%
This is one of the demands put forth by the farmers. Before we discuss this, I would like to list certain existing subsidies and benefits available to farmers:
- Exemption from income tax
- Fertilizer and power subsidies
- Agricultural equipment, seed and irrigation subsidies
- Credit and export subsidies
- Agricultural infrastructure subsidies
With all these subsidies in place and several other welfare schemes for farmers, it looks wrong to ask for more. The taxpayers in India are limited in number and get no benefits out of their payments. Keeping this and the present economic state of the country in mind, this demand looks unnecessary.
Demand 5: Withdrawal of Cases Against Farmer Leaders All Over India. Poets, Intellectuals, Lawyers, Writers And Human & Democratic Rights Activists, Those Who Have Been Jailed In False Cases Should Be Released
This demand is rather ambitious for the movement that is being run for the benefit of the farmers. The duty and power of granting bail, adjudicating and discharging the accused lies in the hand of the judiciary which is constitutionally separate from the parliament.
The union government can’t do anything but to withdraw the cases. However, the manhandling of public property and public servants cannot be waived off as it remains a matter of national importance.
Political intermeddling of government in judicial work is wrong and shouldn’t happen.
Demand 6: Repeal the Three Laws
This demand has been at the forefront and is non-negotiable. The farmers are demanding this because the legislation doesn’t necessitate a written contract. Also, in case of dispute, the farmers cannot approach the court.
They can approach only the Sub-Divisional Magistrate. Though they can approach the court as a consumer according to a Supreme Court judgement, there is an innate feeling of distrust among farmers.
Additionally, the farmers are also apprehending that the new laws will do away with MSP soon and the agricultural sector will fall in hands of private players where they would have minimum say. The issue of doing away with the Agriculture Produce Marketing Committee also exists.
The government has assured that they won’t be getting rid of MSP and APMC. Further, amendments to the legislation are offered by the government to the farmers. However, the leaders among the farmers have outright denied any amendments.
While it’s true that the law may be problematic, there are several redressal mechanisms apart from repealing the law. The government itself is keen on amending the law, which is the ideal course of action considering that no law can make everyone happy.
Thus, setting a precedent of repealing laws can be damaging for the constitutionalism of the country. If even after the amendment, any question regarding the law arises, the same can be dealt with by the High Court or the Supreme Court. The constitutional validity of the laws can be challenged.
Thus, the wide scope of redressal mechanisms doesn’t warrant a demand for repealing the laws.
The demands raised by the farmers aren’t the ones that can be fulfilled in their entirety. It seems that both parties will have to bend a little to make the negotiations successful.
A stand-still for the states of Delhi, UP, Haryana and Punjab won’t be economically fruitful in these struggling times. It is important to conclude the row at the earliest to make everyone happy.
Image Source: Google Images
Sources: Indian Express, NDTV, Business Today
Find The Blogger At: @innocentlysane
This post is tagged under: law, farmers, farmer’s protest, agriculture, delhi, parali, stubble, air pollution, diesel, subsidies, chakka jam, bharat band, farm bill, union government, modi government, legislations, farmer’s bill, essential commodities, contract farming, private players, corporates, corporations, tax payers, tax
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BJP’s Chamcha
well when intellect supersedes reality. Read why farmers burn the stubble first . More than 80% of farmers in punjab and haryana own less than 3 acres . They are not able to pay for high-end machines to get rid of the residue Godi idiot
So basically you are saying, we should discard the principle of Sustainable Development and start damaging our environment because the farmers are too inconsiderate towards it. Moreover, before calling someone names just check the practicality of the issue. The author of the article is saying that there should be a middle-ground because both parties to issue are not absolutely right. Also, have guts to take name of Modi.
Really written by a Godi paid Stupid
If its only 3 acres or less, then the farmers can just as easily till and turn over the land. They are following the lazy option whilst damaging the environment for everyone else, and asking everyone else to subsidise them damaging the environment!
Its not just unfair to everyone else, it is not intelligent.
The GOI claims to have a MSP – a Minimum Support Price,for just 2 crops,in some states of India – with no minimum offtake per farmer,and with a cap,on the overall value,of procurement.This has been on for 73 years.
In the early years,India had a food shortage – and so,the con workked.Then the surpluses began !
The aim of the GOI was to PUSH the farmers to OVERPRODUCE,with 3 benefits for the GOI and their cohorts
Sufficient Foodgrain Reserves
Sufficient foodgrains for PDS
Excess supply pressures on price reductions and reducing the bargaining capacity of farmers – which is ONLY to help the agri value chain
So if the farmers were to boycott farming,for 6 months,Global corn and wheat rates in CBOT will double,and the GOI will TRIPLE the MSP ! By overproducing,the farmers are only KILLING themselves – as higher stocks,no storage,interest on loans and poor quality etc.,increases the pressure on the farmers,to liquidate stocks and accept the quality grading system of the arhatiyas.
When a state in India has a AGRI shortfall it raises the MSP (As there is not enough procurement),and when farmers from o/s states come to dump their wheat – the state refuses.The local farmers see the current MSP and then,overproduce in the next year – and then,the MSP is lowered by the State ! This comedy has been on,for decades.
In essence,India is a bankrupt nation and cannot do 100% purchases of EVEN 1 crop on MSP,in EVEN 1 state of India.
Such a simple fact – and the Sikhs COULD NOT understand this for 73 years ? This requires NOT intelligence or intellect.If the Sikhs were TRUE followers of Nanak,they would have known this 400 years ago.There is just NO MONEY !
The FCI Con Job
No one knows what stock FCI is holding ! There are 2 types of stocks with FCI.1 is in FCI godowns and the 2nd is in the stomach of rodents (who are also stored in FCI godowns – as permanent residents).If all goes well,2 rats can produce 1000 rats in 30 days.But the genius of the GOI is infinite – as it plans to export rat meat – and so,it is a form of integrated storage – from integrated farming to integrated storage !
No one knows the proximate quantity and quality of FCI Stocks – except the rats in the FCI godowns.
So the so called prime wheat purchases by arhatiyas,is diverted to the private market and the spurious and lower grade wheat is sold to FCi as prime.The sales to the private sector is at a premium (by the arhatiyas)
Similarly,when the PDS stocks reach the POS storage yards,the prime wheat is diverted to the private market and the 2nd grade wheat is procured from the arhatiyas and fed to the poor.It is said that the rats in the FCI godowns eat the BEST wheat and so,the Indian poor eat a grade lower than rats – but they are happy that they are getting anything at all.Perhaps it is time to feed Indians – rat meat.
The Quality Con Job
The poor farmers with a debt load are ripped off by the arhatiyas – in the grading system – to sell prime as offgrades.This rip off,is then,in part,transferred to the rich farmers whose offgrades are bought as prime,and the rest of the offgrades are palmed off to the FCI as prime or sold in the private markets.It is a single digit % of the FCI stocks and aggregate purchase,and the GOI neither the means nor the IQ to track it – but it is in the Billions of USD.
The Justification of the FCI Con Job
The GOI approves of this rip off as they say that economic value addition by the private sector is better than rats eating wheat and rice in FCI Godowns.And the tragedy is that they are right.
Therefore rats in FCI godowns are better off than Indian farmers and Indisn consumers of wheat
The failure of “India”
India is a failed experiment.The Constitutional structure of India is being dismantled.The states have failed miserably on all counts.GST is proof of the fact that the GOI has reckoned after 73 years,that Indian states CANNOT manage their finances and their economies.
Draconian Indian Terror laws and census laws is proof that the entire legal and judicial architecture of India is obsolete
India is obsolete
The Solution
The Sikhs are juveniles and fools.Their future lies in Khalistan.India is a failed state.There are only 2 paths for India
1.Partition
2.Destruction of India and then Partition between Pakistan,China.Lanka,Kashmir,Bangladesh,Khalistan,Dalitistan,Dravidian state and a Muslim state
Other than a call to arms,if the Sikhs REALLY want to make the GOI – procure on MSP and withdraw the bills,they have to BOYCOTT farming for 6 months.In other words,they need to farm ONLY FOR SELF CONSUMPTION.No sales to the State or the private traders.Thereafer the Farm organisations in USA/Canada and UK can build positions on CBOT.That will offset the agri income loss for the striking farmers