Anushka Mansharamani
The recent negotiation between the farmers and the Union government regarding the farm laws finally moved a step forward on 3rd December. The government agreed to review the enacted laws passed and bring the necessary amendments to the same.
The farmers, however, do not want a review to take place but instead want the government to withdraw the enacted laws.
4 meetings have taken place between the government and the farmers. Three Union ministers -Piyush Goyal (Minister of railways, food and consumer affairs), Som Prakash (Minister of state for commerce and a lawmaker) and Narendra Tomar (Agricultural minister) represented the government while the big farm unions in the country represented the farmer’s side.
The negotiation meetings took place after the protests on the Delhi borders by thousands of agriculturalists and farmers. The farmers demand the revocation of the three new farm laws enacted by the government whereas the government stated that it is beneficial for investments in this sector and would increase the income of the farmers.
The farm laws passed by the government allow free trade and cancellation of the mandi system took place. The law also gave permission to private traders to buy the commodities in large quantities and have their own contract.
The farmers oppose this as they think that this would lead people to not buy the staples and the essential commodities in the fixed minimum support price and they could lose their bargaining power.
Keeping into mind the fear of the farmers the government entertained approximately 35-40 representatives from the farmer’s side as on 3rd December. Amidst the representatives there was also a women representative for the very first time – Kavitha Kuruganti.
Kavitha Kuruganti is a part of the Women’s Farmer’s Rights committee stated that the law went wrong in its very objective and therefore it’s various provisions made under the law has also gone wrong. Therefore, according to Kavitha Kuruganti the farmers have been left for themselves in the market.
During the negotiating meeting that took place on 1st December, the agricultural minster asked the farmers representatives to specifically lay down the issue related to the acts and reforms passed.
To this, the farmers stated the issues at length. According to the farmers, the reforms and the acts include a threat to the existing market and there could be an increase in competition and this could have a possible difference in the assured prices of the farmers.
The farmers further stated that the introduction of the contract farming law could risk the landholding rights of the farmers.
Also Read- All you need to know about Modi Govt’s “Farm Bills”
The farmers also demanded revocation of the anti-pollution ordinance that was introduced in October and a review of the reform that allows direct cash payments to farmers.
Narendra Tomar the agricultural minister stated that they will take all the suggestions and the issues at hand into consideration and would try to come up with some common ground between the free markets and Agricultural produce market committee.
Addition to this they would also come up with measures to consolidate the Agricultural produce market committee.
The farmers further demanded the government to review the power supply amendment bill which allows the settling of the arguments at the magistrate level itself as they would want the right to approach any court they desired.
The farmers wanted a law prohibiting the sale of any major farm produce as the absence of such a law could increase the risk of fluctuating prices in the market.
Avik Saha (All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee’s secretary) stated that the problem is not related to a particular clause but instead is regarding the “direction in which the government is pushing farming in India” and lastly Jagmohan Singh one of the farm leaders stated that the farmers with one accord demand revocation of the three laws as all their objections and fears could end once the three law reforms are repealed.
Therefore the government has finally decided to take into consideration all the issues and scheduled the next meeting on 5th December 2020.