Farmer groups rally against new draft agricultural policy, threaten nationwide stir

Various farmer groups that had jointly protested against the government’s attempt to introduce three new farm laws four years ago may unite once again to pressurise the government to honour the promises made to the groups at that time.

What has re-ignited the farmer protests is the draft “National Policy Framework on Agricultural Marketing (NPFAM)” put out by the government recently. Farmer groups allege that the proposed policy talks about the same changes the government wanted to bring about through the now-repealed farm laws.

On January 18, leaders of three prominent farmer groups that spearheaded the protest in 2021 agreed to consider repealing of NPFAM as one of the focal demands of united kisan movement. The groups – Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM), SKM (Non-Political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM) – are also keen to establish a coordination committee to streamline the protests.

SKM has given a call to hold mass kisan dharna in front of the residence or office of the Members of Parliament across the country on January 20.  Farmers are also to hand over their letter to various MPs in order to persuade the government to hold immediate discussion with all the farmer organisations on their key demands. The farmers want legally assured minimum support price (MSP) for their crops, along with legally guaranteed procurement, loan waiver to farmers and farm workers which according to them was promised as per a written agreement on December 9, 2021 by the previous government. Withdrawal of what they call the anti-farmer anti-federal NPFAM is also part of the demands.

The farmer organisations also want urgent government intervention to end an ongoing indefinite hunger strike of a Punjab farmer leader Jagjeet Singh Dallewal that has entered its 53rd day.

The SKM leaders said that the draft NPFAM is out and out a policy to hand over all agricultural operations to private corporations and MNCs. “It recommends a Unified National Market integrating APMC markets which are to be developed in PPP mode and digitally connected. It introduces contract farming through FPOs to develop cluster farming for corporate led food processing industry which will tie up all categories of farmers into a wide net of corporate led retail food markets, value addition enterprises and food exports, threatening the independence of farmers and undermining the State Government’s responsibility to develop farming,” the letter to Prime Minister reads.

SKM’s letter also states that the government is well aware of the main demands of the farmers and it is extremely unfortunate that the government has not moved to solve these pending problems. “On the other hand it has introduced provisions of the New Electricity Act that had been presented in the form of raising tariff and imposing smart meters, while the farmers had been demanding free electricity for tube wells and 300 units free power for other users,” it stated.

SKM is planning to organise Kisan Mahapanchayats in all the States. The one in Patna, Bihar has been scheduled on February 11.