Know All About the Farmers’ Protest this Kisan Diwas
Agriculture is a profession for many in India. The sector generates employment for at least 50% of the countries workforce. It’s a contribution to India's gross domestic product (GDP) is about 18%. India is the world's largest producer of rice, pulses, wheat, spices and spice products.
It is not a difficult question to answer as to who is at the centre of all this agriculture-related progress of India. Undoubtedly, it is our farmers. They are the ones who put their day and night in ensuring that the people of the country do not have to worry about the food in their houses. National Farmer’ Day or ‘Kisan Diwas’ is a day to remember the vital role played by the Indian farmers not just in the economy but in the lives of every Indian.
How did Kisan Diwas come into being?
December 23, every year, is commemorated as ‘Kisan Diwas’. This day is the birth anniversary of Chaudhary Charan Singh who was the fifth Prime Minister of India between July 1979 and January 1980.
There is a profound reason as to why this day is celebrated on the birth anniversary of Charan Singh Ji. Born into a farmer's family, Charan Singh is one of the most famous Prime Minister who is known for his farmer-friendly policies. During his short time in the office, he had worked hard for the welfare of Indian farmers by introducing several welfare schemes for the farmers. In fact, even before becoming the Prime Minister, he had been instrumental in bringing earth shackling changes by abolishing traditional exploitative Agri-policies. Some of his unmatchable contributions were:
- In 1952 - Contributor in abolishing the zamindari system.
- In 1953 - Got the Consolidation of Holdings Act passed under which fragmented landholdings were pooled and then re-allotted to the farmers in a way that each got a single farm.
Owing to his contribution to the farm sector, the running government, in 2001, decided to mark Charan Singh's birth anniversary as ‘Kisan Diwas’. For his formidable association with the farming community, his memorial in New Delhi was named the ‘Kisan Ghat’.
What is currently happening in India?
Since the time of ‘Green Revolution’ in the 1960s, the Indian government has ensured to run a scheme where it guarantees farmers a set price for certain crops. Combined with advances in farming technology this system has helped India move from widespread hunger to big annual food surpluses.
The government was not worried about the food supplies when the COVID-19 pandemic hit in March. The officials estimated there would be 100 million tons of grain available to see India through the lockdown, enough to last at least 18 months.
The lower and the upper house of the Parliament passed the Farm Laws in the respective houses in September 2020 and since then the protests have sparked.
By the last week of November, the farmer’s protest which was only limited to Punjab and Haryana reached Delhi. The borders of Delhi witnessed a huge agitation being carried out by farmers sitting peacefully on the streets and protesting without resorting to violence. The farmers are protesting against 3 Farm Bills, the summary and government’s justification for the new law is given below,
The Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Production and Facilitation) Bill, 2020: Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) are government-controlled mandis which are in existence since decades now. This Bill will allow the farmers to sell their produce outside the APMC framework, which will give them more choice on whom they want to sell their produce.
As per the government, APMC is an obsolete institution from an age of scarcity, meant to protect the farmer but has now become his oppressor, a monopoly cartel fixing low prices for the farmers' produce, forcing distress sales. Ergo, under this Bill, the farmers will not be at the mercy of APMC.
The Bill shall further allow electronic trading and e-commerce of scheduled farmers' produce. It also has provisions to prohibit state governments from levying any market fee, cess on farmers, traders, and electronic trading platforms for the trade of farmers' produce conducted in an 'outside trade area'.
The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill, 2020: This Bill provides a legal framework for contract farming, whereby farmers can opt for a pre-arranged contract with buyers including mention of pricing.
The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill 2020: This Bill removes foodstuff such as potato, onions, cereals, pulses, edible oilseeds and oils, from the list of essential commodities, removing stockholding limits on such items except under ‘extraordinary circumstances’.
Why have farmers been resistant to the reforms?
The views of the farmers and their Unions and the government are highly diverse on the effect these Laws will have on farmers outside the paper.
The farmers fear that instead of trying to help farmers, the government is opening the door to big corporations who may eventually force them off their land and out of business. These Farm Bills are encouraging farmers to strike deals with large corporates, and farmers do not trust corporates.
The concept of the Minimum Support Price (MSP) has been there since the Green Revolution of the 1960s kicked in. Under the grab of these new laws, that net may be snatched away from under the pretext of giving the farmers more playing ground and better platforms. As many as 80% of farmers don’t receive the promised amount despite the government’s announcement of the MSP every year. What farmers really want is the government to guarantee that its minimum prices for farm produce are accessible to all farmers.
Currently, 23 agricultural crops have MSPs, though the governments primarily buy only rice and wheat. Farmers fear the two recent bills as they feel these agriculture reform processes will kill the government procurement process as well as the MSP.
The farmers of Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, and Haryana are angry because as per certain reports, nearly 89% of the rice produced by the farmers in Punjab is procured by the government and in Haryana, it is 85%. So, they are the ones who will be at the receiving end of these changes taking the brunt.
How widespread are the protests, and what is likely to happen next?
Farmers from across north India have resisted the reforms, but the protests have by and large been led by unions from Punjab and Haryana, two relatively prosperous states where the government-mandated markets are most developed, and where the government buys a majority of the wheat and rice produced by farmers.
After the Bharat Bandh declared on December 8, the farmers have hardened the stand against the new farm laws, by starting an indefinite relay hunger strike. Five rounds of talks between the farmers and government have failed since the protests began in late November. The relay hunger strike is the third national event of the farmers’ agitation.
In a letter to 40 farmer leaders, the government asked the farmers to choose a date for the next round of talks. The government said that all the efforts are being made “with an open heart” to resolve their concerns.
About what is likely to happen, no one really knows. But the only effective solution to such diverse policies affecting the countrymen is a sit-down peaceful talk. Hopefully, the country will soon find a way, acceptable to the farmers as well as the government.
On this Kisan Diwas, we bow down to each and every farmer out there and thank them for their services. Jai Jawan. Jai Kisan!
