New Delhi: “I have sold about 125 quintals of kharif paddy in an APMC mandi and received MSP payment in my bank account. But what is the guarantee this will continue if such trade is permitted outside mandis. This is our worry,” said a protesting farmer Ranveer Singh at Singhu border here Monday.
Ranveer 44, is the pradhan (head) of Shahbazpur village in Tarn Taran district of Punjab. He has travelled with his fellow 125 farmers in six tractor-trolleys covering a distance of about 425 km in this winter and reached the Delhi border.
Like other protesting farmers associated with over 32 farm organisations, his only demand is ‘repeal of the three new farm laws’ enacted by the central government. He fears the new laws will dismantle the MSP system. It will put the next generation farmers at risk of exploitation by private players.
“No doubt, we are getting MSP now. We are not sure we will get it after 4-5 years. This fight is to protect the interest of next generation farmers,” Ranveer asserted.
The farmer pointed out that many options are given under new laws to trade outside mandis. However, the new laws will only weaken the existing government’s APMC (Agriculture Produce Marketing Committee) mandi system, he pointed out.
“Like government schools and hospitals, the new farm laws will only weaken our mandis. We know mandis will not go away, but entry of private trade in over next few years will only weaken the mandi system,” he explained.
Another farmer Baksheesh Singh, 60, from Patiala echoed the same opinions. “All that we are demanding from the Centre is an assurance that the private players like Adanis and Ambanis will not buy below MSP if we sell our produce outside the mandi,” said Baksheesh.
He pointed out that entry of private players has weakened many of government sectors from education to healthcare. These are places where poor cannot afford to get admission.
It was pointed out that the Centre under the new law has provided for dispute resolution mechanism at sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) and District Collector (DC) level. “They are government people and they will listen to private players instead of farmers,” Baksheesh shot back.
“When the current system is running smoothly, what is the point having new laws. Even arthiyas (middlemen) are private players, but we are dealing with them for many years,” added Baksheesh.
Farmer Balavinder Singh from Bathu Chak village in Amritsar district has reached the Delhi border to be part of the protest. He is of the view that the way farmers are treated by the central government does not instill confidence even if it claims the reforms are in the interest of the farming community.
As per the official data, the government’s paddy procurement has increased by 18.60 per cent to 316.93 lakh tonne so far in the current kharif season. Out of which, Punjab alone has contributed 202.74 lakh tonne which is 63.97 per cent of the total procurement.
“We are protesting peacefully here. We have right to protest – good or bad. We are not goondas, which some ministers are saying to us. We will return to hometown only after the Centre repeals the laws,” asserted 60-year-old Jagveer Singh. He has travelled all the way from Patiala district to protest.
Farmers also claimed that they are protesting out of their will and not been funded by any political parties.
In a series of tweets, Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad sought to refute criticism of the farm laws by some farmer bodies and opposition parties.
Many misconceptions like the farm bills are a conspiracy to not offer farmers MSP, are being spread, he said. Prasad added the reality is that these legislations have nothing to do with the minimum support price. “The MSP has been in force and will remain in force,” he said.
Big companies will not be able to exploit farmers following these laws, as farmers can walk out of contract anytime without paying any penalty, the Union Minister asserted.