Helping or hurting farmers?

Perhaps, the Opposition woke up late and could put up only a hit-and-miss resistance to the travesty of farmers’ rights that was perpetrated in Parliament on Sunday in the guise of passing two ill-conceived farm bills. After all, the Farming Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020, and the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill, 2020, were passed as ordinances as early as June by the Modi government. But it is important to examine its solid offence against them if only to plan course correction.

The Congress has taken on the government on the issue of Minimum Support Price (MSP), dubbing the Bills as “black laws” and refusing to sign on the farmers’ “death warrant”. Why is the government running away from its obligation, it asked and indeed, outside of empty promises and the unreasonable accusation of misleading the farmer, the government had no answer. In neither of the Bills is the pricing of the farm produce referenced to the MSP.

The government says the first law will allow intra-state and inter-state trade of farmers’ produce beyond the physical premises of APMC markets, thus giving freedom to farmers and traders to sell or purchase products anywhere. But this freedom was available with farmers, so what the new Bill is selling to them and what price it will extract in its name remain two critical questions. The proposed law provides traders with the freedom to buy farmers’ produce outside APMC markets without having a licence or paying fees. Two equally important questions, raised by the Trinamul and Left parties, respectively, are: (a) why has the Centre chosen to legislate on a state subject? (b) Why were farmers, who hit the streets, not made party to the consultations?

The general consensus that has emerged is that the Bills are meant to corporatise agriculture but there is scant concern as to whether or not it will convert the largest Indian professional group into bonded labourers in consequence. Under the garb of reforms, an inefficient and desperate government is abdicating its duty to ensure that farmers get a fair price and that food prices are affordable. Can a private member’s bill offer a token protest and a document for days ahead?