Farmers Movement Archive

Agri laws repealed, farm agitation must end now

Chandigarh The three new farm laws promulgated in June 2020 have been repealed. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been a true statesman and shown more grace than ever before in apologising to the nation for the agony suffered by many as a result of persistent agitation. He assured the farmers and farm workers of their well-being in every possible manner. The farmer’s agitation, however, continues. The agitators are now fighting for the remaining demands, including a statutory MSP. During the eleven rounds of negotiations, the group of nearly 40 farmers’ associations kept changing their goal post, and as a result, the talks were inconclusive. The government has now unilaterally decided to remove the cause of unrest by withdrawing the laws. The central farm laws were enacted without consulting the stakeholders. However, these were stayed by the apex court. The farmers were thus not adversely affected. The agitation, however, reflected upon their apprehensions. The foodgrains were procured by the government at the MSP during the last three crops. In other agriculture operations, the business continued as usual without any hindrances. The input supplies remained normal as ever. The agitators who remained peaceful were not unduly inconvenienced. Despite provocations and violent incidents by some miscreants, the government exercised restraint and did not interfere. Repealing of central laws a bad precedent The repealing of central laws is a bad precedent. In a complex federal polity such as ours, central legislation on a matter that is the primary concern of the states should have been carefully crafted after due consensus among the stakeholders. Surely, this takes longer, but then that is the price we all pay for adhering to democratic values and systems. Most central legislations on subjects that are part of the state and concurrent lists of our constitution have been finalised after sustained deliberations. The recent examples are the Right to Education Act 2005, and the National Food Security Act 2013. The country debated these subjects for over decades. The persistent agitation against the laws, which have been undone, and the loss of lives in violence and even at the dharnas by the farmers was an avoidable tragedy. Uncounted loss of trade, business, and industry, including the travel, and transportation sectors, have caused a long-term damage to the economies of affected areas. There have been huge unrealised job losses. Even infrastructure development and other growth initiatives of the governments and the private entrepreneurs were hampered. The farmers are demanding compensation, but the government has also to care for the losses caused to the public exchequer, private businesses, and finances.In a country vying to reach an unimpeachable position in the world economy, such a situation is incomprehensible. Both the parties involved in the dispute need to rethink and find an amicable solution. The recurring losses to the people must stop. Some people may have a vested interest to continue the agitation, but society does not appreciate it anymore. The agitation must end now. Set up a tripartitepanel For the well-being of our next generations, the reforms must happen and these should happen fast. The farmers are not against reforms, but they wish to be part of the process of reforms. The onus is, however, on the government. It should consider all possible options. Continuation of existing MSP-based procurement of wheat and paddy through an enduring legal framework; and quasi-procurement of other food crops by central agencies should help assuage the farmers about their apprehensions. A tripartite committee of the central government, the states, and the farmers may look into these issues. The committee should not only address the remaining issues but also reframe mutually acceptable laws with a clear roadmap for the future. The repealed legislation were well-drafted, but the concerns of the farmers, which reflect upon their social and economic security, are not insignificant. The political economy of the laws, ignored hitherto, should be deliberated comprehensively to bring something more innovative and people-friendly to the country’s statute book. Agriculture diversification plan neededAlongside legislative reforms, the government may also consider a comprehensive agriculture diversification programme (CADP) to infuse substantial investment in making agriculture more diverse and sustainable. The CADP may cover original green revolution areas, Punjab, Haryana, and Western UP, to promote alternative crops and develop agriculture and allied sectors to increase farmers’ income. The funds should be provided to the states based on their contextual requirements borne out of data and evidence. An empowered committee of experts under the Niti Aayog may monitor the implementation of CADP. The components of the program may include: Differential input incentives for alternative crops such as maize, millets, cotton, fruits, and vegetables, etc., market linked incentives (MLIs), including price deficiency support for alternative crops, earmarking a percentage of food cash credit limit for the purchase of alternative crops to enable the states in this regard with requisite financial provisioning, and development of diversification infrastructure such as cold warehouses, ripening chambers and farm-gate aggregation, storage, and distribution centers. Regulate crop production The government may consider establishing a statutory mechanism to regulate crop production. It shall ensure that the requirements of national food security are met, fully addressing the concerns of natural resource conservation, biodiversity, and climate change. There is no reason to allow a water-starved state like Rajasthan to produce water-guzzling paddy. Farmers’ capacity building and second-generation extension reforms should also be given a big push to promote alternative crops and connect the farmers with new markets. The writer is a former chief principal secretary to chief minister, Punjab. Views expressed are personal

Hindustan Times

06-12-2021

Chandigarh