On one hand the Centre has just begun the process of preparing a draft of Bills needed to repeal the three farm laws, and on the other hand the farm unions , emboldened by Mr Modi’s announcement have written an open letter to Prime Minister listing their remaining demands, especially a legal mandate for MSP, and said they would continue to protest until all issues are resolved.
The letter sought the immediate withdrawal of action against farm protesters who “have been implicated in hundreds of cases during this movement (June 2020 till date) in Delhi, Haryana, Chandigarh, Uttar Pradesh and several other states”.
Thereafter they said, they will hold a ‘Dilli Border Morche Par Chalo’ with tractor rallies across states to mark one year since the first set of farmers arrived from Punjab and Haryana at Singhu. From November 29, the KISAN MORCHA is planning to send a set of 500 protesters each day to Parliament in tractors to protest during the Winter Session.
Their Open letter said ; Prime Minister, you have appealed to the farmers that now we should go back home. We want to assure you that we are not fond of sitting on the streets. We too desire that after resolving these other issues as soon as possible, we return to our homes, families and farming. If you want the same, then the government should immediately resume talks with the Samyukta Kisan Morcha on the above six issues,”.
What the farmers are demanding now, need to be examined in totality because despite the farmers’ distress all these years, NO GOVT ever tried to disturb the hornets’ nest and did not make MSP mandatory. Lastly, now that the Govt had decided to disturb the Horntes' nest, We need to closely examine as where all this can lead to, if Govt does not take this developing trend seriously and mend its ways.
One. This policy of MSP was useful when India faced acute food shortages. What was needed in that era of shortages is not necessarily be applicable now. A law making MSPs the legal floor price defies ( is against ) economic logic. The government fixes MSP for 23 crops, but it is effective only in case of rice and wheat because it buys only these two commodities in sufficiently large quantities. MSPs are an assurance that the government will intervene if market rates fall below that threshold, thereby helping avoid distress sale. The farmers can not expect government to buy every product .
Secondly, A law making it mandatory to purchase other 21 crops above the MSPs by any private trader will immediately lead to high inflation. The Food prices will sky rocket , making the budget of the middle income group and low income group unmanagemable. Every one percentage point increase in MSPs leads to a 15-basis point increase in inflation. Higher MSPs could also upend the Reserve Bank of India’s inflation targets, hurting economic growth.
Three. Any policy that does not take into account the demand, supply and prices will surely create problems for many. For instance , If it is not profitable for traders to buy at MSPs, then the private sector may not be interested in buying the product from local sources. Mandatory MSPs may also make India’s agri- exports non-competitive because the Govt’s assured prices are likely to be higher than both domestic and international market prices.
Four. In that case , farmers would then demand Govt to make it mandatory for the private sector to buy from local sources rather than from abroad. Such a Policy will never work and the citizens would suffer, in the bargain.
The Govt which promised that it will double the income of farmers particularly the marginal and poor farmers is now likely to find itself in a tight spot.
The ongoing protests of farmers has exposed a few aspects which need to be looked into seriously by the Govt ;
One. The IT Cell of BJP must refrain and avoid belittling, humiliating and launching malicious campaign against those who oppose the Govt policies ; labeling them Terrorists, anti nationals, Anti Hindus and so on. Every Indian citizen who opposes Govt is not ANTI INDIA and a Terrorist or even Anti Hindu.
Two. 700 farmers died during the protests and most of them were marginal farmers having barely 2-4 acres of land. Instead of humiliating them it would have been better for the Govt and its supporters to have been sympathetic to their cause and listened to their issues with an open mind instead of pushing its own agenda. Right from the beginning there was NO MIDDLE GROUND.
Three. The Govt for the first time, is up against a group which HAS A GOOD understanding of politics and has fair number of supporters in urban areas also and is by and large protesting NON VIOLENTLY. It would be better for the Govt to appreciate their strengths rather than belittling them.
Four. The Govt cannot and rather should not Push its own views/ solutions down the throat of those for whom it intends helping. You got to listen to all the stake holders including those whom it intends helping because perhaps the Govts Solution may further deteriorate their condition.
Five. Someone had very rightly pointed out a few years ago that This current Govt is working as if GOVERNANCE is all about applauds on WHATS APP and FACE BOOK and it can manage India if it can manage FACE BOOK and WHATS APP. The success of farmers has just proved that wrong.
Six. The success of Farmers is likely to embolden many others who have been bull dozed by the Govt in the guise of bringing reforms.
Lastly, The Govt of India is managed by a party which has role models who have in principle been divisive , supported Violence and hatred in the society to achieve their Political Objectives and hence it stands on a very slippery ground. As more and more, get fed up of its mis governance, the ruling Party will have no one to bank upon as its own role models have left hardly any legacy of Values behind except hatred and violence. No amount of malicious campaign by its IT Cells labeling every opposition as Anti India, Anti Hindu , Terrorist etc may work then and that may have disastrous consequences, not only for the party but also for the nation.
Conclusion.
There are many who may get emboldened from this recent success of Farmers ; those who oppose CAA, Those who oppose article 370, those who oppose RERA, those who oppose Bank reforms, those who suffered because of DEMONETISATION and GST and many more. Once the opposition gathers steam many may join the band wagon. Gandhiji understood this unique feature of Protests and that’s why he withdrew his Non Cooperation movement after Chauri Chaura incident as he feared that many who had their own narrow interests have started joining the bandwagon.