'Farmers Day' should be changed to “Farmers’ Martyrs Day”

So far more than 300,000 farmers committed suicide due to financial hardships as per official records, now Government of India does not even publish this data (who knows it can be too scary)?

 'Farmers Day' should be changed to 'Farmers’ Martyrs Day'

By:

Vijay Sardana

The current political debate in India is who is friendlier to the farmers and which political system benefited the farmers most through policies. The fact is today, farmers in India are exploited by others due to outdated policies and rules which are depriving farmers of their legitimate rights in the money spend by consumers. Political system is not willing to clean the system because political funding comes from these policies which encourage extortion of the farmers.

Please answer my questions:

1.   Why 50% of all APMC mandis should not be reserved for the farmers cooperatives and farmers associations, when they are producer of the crop?

2.   Why farmer markets are not allocated in every city near residential areas so that consumers and farmers can interact directly and produce, money and information all can be exchanged for future crops.

3.   When political system wanted to benefit industry and service sector, all political parties and all states came together and created a GST system -one India one tax, but when It came to farmers’ interest, why all states and all parties are not coming together for creating one nation and one market. Why they take excuse this is a state subject, before GST amendment, indirect taxes were also state subject.

4.   Why no state government and union government are willing to investigate a fix the system why farmers are getting Rs. 2 to 5/kg for the crop when consumers are paying Rs. 30 to 50/kg for the same crop? Where this Rs. 30 to 45/kg is going? Who is pocketing this amount and in what ratio?
5. What are the plans to provide good education and healthcare to farmers' family?

Why farmer will remain the most exploited element in the market economy?

Some time back, I was at John F. Kennedy International Airport while going for a meeting of New Vision for Agriculture to World Economic Forum. Like every nation, America also glorifies some of their great leaders. I was keen to know about the views of Mr. Kennedy about farmers, I came about this statement:

“The American farmer is the only man in our economy who buys everything he buys at retail, sells everything he sells at wholesale, and pays the freight both ways.” – John F. Kennedy

Globally farmers are exploited by all societies including developed world:

Pick-up any agriculture policy and read it, it says we need agriculture development to ensure food security, it never says we want farmers to live in comfort or become wealthy.

When we start any policy work with a biased objective, that is to exploit the producer and supplier for the benefit of consumer and user, can such policies deliver justice and encourage the producer and suppliers to do their best and deliver their best. I don't think so.

Example of Europe:

Let us see what Europe is doing with agriculture, In Europe, launched in 1962, the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) is a partnership between agriculture and society, between Europe and its farmers.

Its main aims are: To improve agricultural productivity, so that consumers have a stable supply of affordable food. To ensure that EU farmers can make a reasonable living.

Question is: In which other policy you will find that corporate managers or government officers should make reasonable living? Why farmers should make reasonable living, when everyone else in economy wants to become reasonably wealthy or super rich?

Example in India:

In India Agriculture is a political activity, not an economic activity, because all decisions in agriculture sector are based on political consideration.

Let us see what is happening in India, I suggest please go to Google and search "Agriculture Policy of India", what you will get. There is no agriculture policy of India, only few opinion articles by some researchers.

There is one document names NEW AGRICULTURE POLICY of India, it says, “Agriculture is a way of life, a tradition, which, for centuries, has shaped the thought, the outlook, the culture and the economic life of the people of India. Agriculture, therefore, is and will continue to be central to all strategies for planned socio-economic development of the country. Rapid growth of agriculture is essential not only to achieve self-reliance at national level but also for household food security and to bring about equity in distribution of income and wealth resulting in rapid reduction in poverty levels”.

Important: Have you noticed that world farmer is missing from the whole objective statement of the policy?

What are the objectives of Agriculture Policies of the civilized world?

·      Exploit rural poor for urban rich in other words agriculture for the benefit of Urban Citizen.

·      All NGOs are advising farmers what they should not do and should not do, but not keen to tell how much farmers’ will make money if they follow their advice?

·      NGOs are also not keen to tell consumers and government how to stop exploitation of farmers?

·      Consumers are keen to stop use of agro-chemicals and fertilizer which helps farmers in crop protect and crop yield, but they are not willing to pay the price for the reduced production and economic loss which farmers will suffer due to insect attack or other crop damages

·      Consumers want biodiversity to be preserved by farmers, but not keen to pay for these conservation efforts by the farmers. Consumers are willing to uproot all biodiversity and greenery when they make their golf courses, housing complexes, infrastructure projects and all facilities for better life.

·      Is this fair behaviour of civilized society and so-called NGOs to put all responsibilities on farmers for their own fancy wish list, without even willing to pay for all these desires?

The fact is the farmers are exploited by educated, civilized and resource rich societies around the world.

What farmers should do?

1.   They must learn to work for their economic welfare by forming groups and start taking their crop directly to consumers. If any law stops this, protest and hold government accountable and demand change in that law because also have a right to make money like everyone else.

2.   FPO or Cooperative is a good concept, farmers must learn to work together because working in isolation or in individual manner will always hurt them.

3.   Demand infrastructure and technology from government not subsidy. These tangible assets will help them in every season year after year, subsidies will vanish in one crop cycle.

4.   Farmers must utilize their limited financial and natural resources very carefully. You must save them before you waste them.

5.   In changing world, keep learning new skills which can help you in making more money without compromising on quality which your consumers are expecting from you.

Fix accountability:

Those who deprive farmers from the use of technology and markets, must also tell what their plans are to ensure better income for the farmers’.

If they do not talk about better income to farmers in their recommendation than in that case, please note these people have their agenda to exploit farmers and their intention and motive must be investigated and exposed.

Any advice, not benefiting farmers financially, should not be the priority for the poor farmers?

If consumers are not keen to pay for environment and social welfare, why farmers are forced to compromise their own welfare. Is this fair?

Answer is “No”.

In my view this is exploitation of farmers by civilized society by providing social-political justification to cover their own crime against poor farmers?

What do you say... any views... if yes do send or write below...

Pl.share with all to seek better answer to this serious problem...