LOGICAL ANALYSIS ON FARMERS

PROTEST

Submitted by

Harshit Shekhar

of

Symbiosis Law School, NOIDA

Symbiosis International (Deemed University), Pune.

In

January, 2019
INTRODUCTION:
India is a homeland to millions of people. From the very ancient period agriculture was
one occupation that was carried on by most of the population. The individuals indulged
into farming and specifically the farmers rooted in the rural areas were and are said to
be the backbone of this country. This is not just a statement, but a facticity. Farmers
and soldiers of the very Mother Land of ours are considered the real heroes from the
very beginning of the Independence era. One can trace in the history and speeches of
various eminent leaders, as how farmers have been influential in changing the course
of this country, be it political or socially and even economically. One can find the
trace of such capacity of influencing the circumstances that farmers and soldiers
of this homeland can bring about. When talking about ‘Controversy of farmers
protest’, I find it relevant to state a prominent incidence from the historical moment
that engulfed in the 60’s. The era of 1960’s came with struggle for India. Lal Bahadur
Shastri took over the responsibility as a Prime Minister after Jawahar Lal Nehru’s
demise. In 1965, Pakistan tried to invade India but were fought back by the Indian
Army, which resulted into Pakistan’s failure to do so. From the podium of Ramlila
Maidan in present-day, New Delhi, Lal Bahadur Shastri reverberated the
impression of the feeling and emotion of millions of Indians by giving the slogan of
Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan (Hail the Soldiers, Hail the farmers). This slogan reflects the idea
as to how much the Indian population have been dependant upon the farmers.

Agriculture is that one sector, which is unquestionably the largest livelihood provider
in India, more so in the rural areas. The Department of Agriculture Cooperation and
Farmers Welfare, specified in its annual reports as to how the Present-day NDA
government is adamant at improving the earnings of farmers. The drafting of the said
department, shows as to how the planning committee has formed the policy for further
welfare of the rural farmers. The report is a compilation of various recommendations
of a team of experts so that the implementation of such policy and schemes results into
betterment of the farmers in the rural areas. The committee that drafted the report
reached to a conclusion that how farmers could be empowered with improved market
linkages and a combination of improved market linkages with that of self -sustainable
models. But the question that surrounds us after the measures and all the promises so
made by the government, is the Ministry & Government standing up and meeting its
own promises of fulfilling the dreams of farmers, who are the source of our food? Are
the measure so framed to counter the problems effective? Even if these are effective,
what is the hurdle, is it the implementation that is not up to the parameters? However,
these questions are more of introspective in nature & yet very important to the context
of a nation consisting such a large population and this issue could result into failure of
keeping up with the Constitution of India.

THE PROTESTS & KEY ISSUES:

December 1st 2018, the opposition came together, with Congress Chief Rahul Gandhi,
Chief Minister of Delhi Arvind Kejriwal & prominent Left Leaders joined hands
demanding a special session in the Parliament to discuss the crisis unfolding in the
agriculture sector. This was an outcome of farmers’ protest that took place on the 29th
and 30th of November, 2018. What distinguished this protest from the earlier protests
was the fact that the demand was regarding special session of Parliament to discuss
two private member bills: The Farmers’ Freedom from Indebtedness Bill 2018 and The
Farmers’ Right to Guaranteed Remunerative Minimum Support Prices for
Agricultural Commodities Bill, 2018. The respective bills focuses on two important
demands so raised, namely- Loan Waiver & higher MSPs. This is a very detrimental
issue for long term growth. Higher MSPs means inflation in the Agricultural
Economy. During the UPA tenure in 2009, the UPA government before elections
promised to waive loans for the farmer, resulting into higher rate of MSPs. As coins
have two sides to it, similarly, higher rate of MSPs resulted into inflation – specifically
food inflation. Food Inflation and a demand for pan-India loan waiver of farmers is not
reasonable to some extent as it may hamper the policy path of this country. Spike in
food prices effects the market forces and the market essentially- resulting into
people cutting down on other essential expenditure and Capital Expenditure is the
main expenditure that gets hampered by such a step.
When one sees the Western Counterparts, we can observe high inflation and
high unemployment leads to stepping party in power out of that power. In context of
the same, Indians politicians contend with the same in reference to country’s
vast agricultural sector. In India it is a truth that major population for livelihood
is dependent upon agriculture and farming, so it becomes a big jolt when there’s a farm
crisis. The first biggest protest by farmers was carried out in Madhya Pradesh resulting
into the ex-CM Shivraj Chouhan lost the elections. Then over 30,000 farmers marched
in Mumbai to protest and later another jolt to the government was march by farmers to
New Delhi-these events crystallised the perceived political fallout of the rage of the
farmers pan-India. BJP lost 3 states in elections due to farmers protest and their
demands for loan waiver.
However, it is interesting to witness that policymakers often ignore the fact that
growth of farms can eventually cut poverty as twice as industrial growth and another
set of fact is even a percent of growth in farms gradually increases the industrial
growth. This could push GDP of a developing nation as India to a new height.one
should never ignore roots from where the growth belongs- the principles should be
held tightly- this might be a moral or philosophical phrase which one hears. But this
might be the case with the current scenarios that are unfolding. India’s Industrial
Growth vitally relies on growth of its Farm, hence there’s a knot between Industrial
growth and rural growth. Interestingly, Meghalaya Government seems to be quite
smart to learn from the experiences of agitated protests by farmers on the issue of
Agricultural crisis. Meghalaya, after the farmers from across the country marched to
the Parliament to get their problems heard, the State government convened a farmers’
parliament to give the farming community a platform to voice their concerns
and encourage a dialogue between farmers and government. This step is appreciable
as it will provide space for negotiation between Farmers and the government to come
up at a consensus. Problems related to infrastructure, logistics & market linkages- at
least this will create a corridor for easy access to market and value addition
towards farming.
The major issue that results into the grave circumstances that the present- day farmers
faces are: Suicide, Mounting Debts & Droughts. One can feel the immense pain of
those who irrigate the fields for their yields & yet are forced to commit suicide. In
2004, National Commission on Farmers, was constituted to examine the causes of
farmers’ distress & recommend ways to resolve it. Despite of which no
recommendation of the commission was implemented.
ANALYSING SWAMINATHAN COMMISSION’S REPORT:

The National Commission on Farmers was chaired by Professor M.S. Swaminathan.

Five reports were submitted from October 2004-December 2006. The focus of the final
report was on the causes of distress that farmers face and what is the reason and the
igniting factor resulting into farmers suicide. The recommendation of the
commission was that the government could address this situation through a holistic
national policy for farmers.

The major concern for the time being is as to how productivity could be enhanced, how
profitability and sustainability of major farming system of this country could be
boosted. The commission’s vision at observing the farmers’ crisis was protecting
farmers from imports when international prices fall sharply. Apart from the
same, policy reforms with regards to substantial increase in flow of rural credit to all
farmers- these were the important questions posed before the commission.

When such vast crisis is faced with, one should always seek at the reasons for such
distress. The same was addressed by the Commission so formed for the purpose of
resolving Farm Crisis. For what, we can collectively look into is the cause of such a
distress: Number one for that matter is Farmers committing suicide. The important
issue is unfinished agenda in land reform, quantity and quality of water, technology
fatigue & timelessness of institutional credit. Now, it is interesting to look at the needs
of the farmers to have an access and control over basic resources, which includes, land,
water, resources, credit & insurance, and markets. The commission had
recommended to include Agriculture in the Concurrent List- the reason which I think
behind this would be as Article 246 of the Constitution of India speaks about
legislative power to legislate on subject-matters by Central as well as the State
Governments. The article institutes three lists, i.e., to say domains of subject matters
in which the Centre and the State can take cognizance of the same. The lists so are
Union List, LIST I; State List, LIST II; Concurrent List, LIST III. Including
agriculture in the Concurrent List would enable the State as well as the Centre
to legislate on the areas which require priority- based attention to resolve the said
issues.

When we look into the income related issues that the farmers face, it is most of the
times related to the productivity levels and the productivity is what determines the
income of farmers. If statistics is looked upon, the per unit area productivity of Indian
Agriculture is much lower than the other major crop producing countries. This is one
of the crucial factors which results into not so bulk productivity of agricultural goods
and which results into lower income levels. What can be done in this regard, is that the
public investment push is to be provided to the agriculture related infrastructure in
relation with irrigation, research development and road connectivity.

Reducing of loans is essential at this stage for a sector which has remained the
backbone of this developing nation for such a vast period of time. If rates of interest
for crop loans could be cut down with support of the government. A Risk Fund
establishment provides relief to farmers to counter aftermath of natural calamities.
Insurance that would cover crops and a reduced premiums and creation of Rural
Insurance Development Fund to spread rural insurance. Health Insurance, Health care
centres should be extended to each and every rural location to counter emergency
related issues of farmers. Each state has its own set of Agricultural needs to
take measures to resolve issues and deal with the concerns State Level
Commissions should be set up in each of the States.
Crop failure is a shock to the farming society as the machinery and technology that the
farmers use and hire for the purpose of irrigation. A low risk and lower cost
technologies helps to provide maximum income-based outcome for the farmers,
introducing the same would lower the risk of crop failure and financial breakdown.

These were some of the aspects that were looked upon in the Swaminathan
Commission and their report was based upon the suggested reasoning provided in this
section. These reviews have to be kept in mind when one studies the Indian Farm
Crisis and only then can one be able to make an assessment based on thinking.

CONCLUSION:

Protests are often thought and perceived in the minds of people as a means of seeking
attention to specific issues. The root cause of the Farm Crisis is not suicide or drought,
these are mere symptoms of the crisis. The actual problem lies with the root causes,
which is unemployment, specifically rural unemployment, rising input costs, low
minimum support prices and to an extent genetically modified foods. Media gets the
freedom of expression as a fundamental right under Article 19 of the Constitution. It
is a very strong instrument to assert one’s thoughts and express them through
the medium of newspapers or Tv channels etc. These instrumentalities are of
such an importance that when Article 358 and 359 are invoked related to the provisions
of emergency Article 19 gets suspended automatically which means that through this
process there is a censorship that is levied on the media and it cannot repot ideologies
which are anti government at that point of time. Proper news is being talked about here
because of the reason that at times Media does not cover the issues of farmers despite
being a powerful tool of the democracy itself. The media comes into play only at the
level; of some big events unfolding. There does seems to be a biasness by the media
in some cases towards some of the political parties. This is also a hurdle and needs to
be resolved.

In the last phase of this essay, I must mention the Budget 2019: Budget for farmers, in
which Rs.6000/- has been fixed as a farm support system a support for marginal
farmers by the BJP led government under the scheme of Kisan Samman Nish. Finance
Ministry has set aside Rs 75000/- crores for further development of farmers and
Agriculture sector so that the government is able to fight back the Farm Crisis. This
seems to be a Pro poor move by the government and the beneficiaries would be the
modest farmers of rural areas. Distressed farmers whole income levels seems to be
stagnate because of plunging prices barely enough to pay back loans and input costs
would benefit from the scheme.

Farm sector’s crisis has snowballed into a big political issue ahead of Lok
Sabha elections. Prices of certain commodities have fallen, forcing farmers to dump
their produce at a low price that hardly covers for their cost. What I believe is
more beneficial to these down-trodden farmers is an income support scheme better
option than loan waiver.