Economic Highlights

New Delhi, 16 February 2024

Farmers Protest

GLOBAL, GOVT MUST LISTEN    

By Shivaji Sarkar 

Farmers are protesting in an election year all over the world. The day the Indian farmers were made to face severe assault on February 13 and the roads to Delhi were blocked with concrete walls, barbed wire and spikes; farmers in Brussels clogged streets, with 1300 tractors, leading to Paris pressing for fairer deals almost akin to their Indian brethren. They did not face any hostility anywhere, though agriculture according to Bloomsberg, has become a key battleground in a wider culture war over money, food and climate change. 

The list of “grievances long - soaring costs, increasing bureaucracy, new European Union regulations in its Green Deal and imports diluting their markets”. A placard says: “He who sows misery reaps anger”. What an irony! These farmers are agitating as the European Union goes to the polls. The government listens to them without accusing them of politicking. A month back German farmers blocked highways. 

Indian farmers in Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh travelling to Delhi on tractors with supplies for a long sit-in, have demands that are similar to the French farmers. Their placard says, India must quit WTO along with their demands for a guaranteed minimum support price (MSP), implying that the market must ensure fair price, food and sustainable farming. While Indian farmers are labelled with being “supported by Pakistan, Khalistanis and other anti-country forces”, the farmers in Paris are patiently heard by their government, and they put off protests. 

The contrast is sharp. The government of Haryana state blocked their roads at Punjab border, fired tear gas shells, lobbed shells from drones. In talks with Union ministers, Arjun Munda and Piyush Goyal, they have received no assurance on key issues though the government says agreement reached on ten other issues. They are alleged to be provoked by the opposition parties, AAP in Punjab and now with Rahul Gandhi’s announcement of a guaranteed MSP, if his party voted to power, also the Congress. But for the alleged intervention of Punjab government officials, situation at Ambala’ Shambhu border could have been worse. 

The farmers have a long history of indignation, particularly in France and the problems are not confined to Europe. Among the 70 countries going to polls, is the EU, India and the US. In France, the farmers complain that politicians only want to get elected, so they are latching onto the farmers movement. Most politicians and parties keep off them. Even Congress party’s Black Paper on economy only cursorily mentions them. 

The Manmohanomics of the Congress party is responsible for the beginning of corporatisation of farming, an aim of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank. Their successor government has been following the Manmohanomics and only aggravated the issues of marketing. In 2006, during the UPA government, Bihar abolished the mandis or APMs. It closed procurement. Punjab farmers rush to Bihar, buy food grains, ship it to Punjab, sell at MSP and earn profits. Bihar farmers suffer. 

During the past few years, many long marches have been held by farmers even during UPA government, as also long dharnas during the NDA, as along Delhi borders with Haryana and UP in 2022. The similarities are stark. In Europe, farmers have been holding protests in Italy, Spain, Switzerland and Romania. Polish farmers have vociferously opposed food grain arriving from neighbouring Ukraine and forced the government to negotiate. In Delhi, government blocked roads to check farmers entry to the national Capital, in Germany farmers blocked highways in January for a week against cuts in subsidies on diesel. 

Indian farmers, so far, did not even protest petrol and diesel prices that are almost double that of international crude prices. They even did not protest against auto-lobby-NGT sponsored illegal seizures of their ten-year-new cars and tractors, for which they paid EMIs for seven years. They suffered takeover of their land for building of roads for irrationally high tolls. Climate issues for grain, horticulture or fish farmers are wrecking them. 

Climate change is a big issue for European and US farmers. Though the governments there may not be that intent on the issues, they are not hostile. A US retired diplomat Hegadorn is quoted as saying, “You can live without an electric car, you can live without a mobile phone, but you’re not going to live without farmers and the food they produce”. Sensible approach in a country that has only a miniscule percentage left as farmers. Corporatisation of agriculture has neither helped the farming community in Europe nor in the US. 

In contrast, India has over 54 per cent left in agriculture or over 75 crore people. Since the last farmers agitation two years back, withdrawal of three supposedly anti-farmer laws, the government has continued with the Manmohanomics and heaped miseries on the farmers. It should not be obsessed with the factor that they are agitating during election time. World over it is so. 

The farmers are being neglected and overlooked in policy framing from the richest US and European countries to the poorest India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. In all these countries while corporate profits swell, farmers wages remain stagnant for decades. Their input costs on seed, fertilisers, machines or pesticides multiplied everywhere. 

Economic Survey of 2016 says farmers income was Rs 1700 a month. This as per National Statistical Office was Rs 10218 a year or about Rs 2000 a month as per Rajya Sabha statement in December 2022. Market-linking of agriculture or corporatisation in the prevailing circumstances has failed in the affluent countries. In the US, farmers complain they are being priced out by big companies. 

Those advising in India that it could be a success are apparently misleading policy planners. More sensitivity is required. Farmers the world over are agitating not because there are elections, they want patient hearing for solving the global crisis. 

Delhi belongs to all countrymen. The government should invite the farmers with open arms and not with spiked roads. If attended, it is easy to solve as promising guaranteed MSP would not burden the exchequer with more than Rs 2.5 lakh crore (trillion) of additional expenses, which the government agencies recover as they sell the food grains. Listening in any regime is an asset.---INFA 

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