Farmers Movement Archive

Academicians write to PMO in support of new farm laws

BENGALURU: At a time when the protest against the central government’s three new farm laws is getting support from various quarters across the globe, a group of academicians from top institutions in the country has written to the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) supporting the legislations. In the letter written early last week, the academicians say “this moment should not be missed”. The letter reads: “This is a golden opportunity for reforms, which have been eluding agriculture since the industrial reform in 1991. We are convinced that the moment has arrived for agriculture and if these reforms are missed, agriculture will have no future in India.” The letter has been written by 34 academicians from Indian Institute of Management-Bangalore, Indian Institute of Technology-Madras and Roorkee, Indian Institute of Science and Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, among others. These academicians believe the laws will usher in better price discovery mechanisms, which will ultimately help farmers as well as end-consumers. By giving autonomy to farmers to trade their produce, the legislations will free them from the clutches of middlemen, they say in the letter. “It places the power of the market in the hands of farmers, small and large, and our farmers are far more intelligent than what critics would credit them with. If they still want to sell to the government in the mandis and at MSP, they are at liberty to do so. These laws will make the market transparent and leave no scope for any rent-seeking behaviour. Information technology will completely transform the way the market will be played,” the letter reads. G Ramesh, professor, Center for Public Policy at IIMB, who has signed the letter, told TOI: “The government is sensitive to the two main issues of MSP and continuation of mandis. The farmers can offer suggestions for operationalising the alleviating measures.”

The Times of India

2020-12-25

India