Farmers’ protests have been viewed as potent symbols of a call for justice, determination, and resilience in the annals of socio-political movements. In a country where the hands serving food are considered equal to God, the people making the raw materials must go to the streets to meet their needs. The protest has garnered a lot of attention in India and internationally. Let’s delve deep into the farmers’ protest in 2024, exploring the causes, impact, and perspectives that guide the protest.
Farmer’s protest in the recent history of India
To understand the context of the farmers’ protest now, we need to retrospect into the protests in 2020-21. They went down the streets against the three farm laws: The Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act; The Farmers’ (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Act; and The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act. imposed by the Parliament of India. The law was called anti-farmer law by the farmers’ unions and opposition. However, the government maintained that it would make selling the crops effortless and that they were directly connected to the buyers. The protest was prominent in Punjab and Haryana, two states with the largest surplus food production. With the incidents of clash between the police and the farmers, the protest was considered as one of the deciding factors in politics. However, after a long battle, the Honorable Supreme Court interfered to bring peace. The situation is resurfacing after nearly two years.
Causes
The primary reason for the farmers’ protest is the formulation of agricultural policies. Changes to farming laws and deregulation of markets. The protest in 2024 is a repeat of the 2021-2022 protest to demand the implementation of the Minimum Support Price assured by the Government. The farmers’ significant demands are the following:
1. Financial Security
They demanded a monthly pension of Rs. 10000/- for the farmers above 60. The subsequent demand was a minimum wage of Rs.700, along with an assured 200 working days. They demanded the removal of intermediaries and wanted direct access to the market, thereby ensuring fair pricing and collective bargaining capacity.
2. Market Access
The primary demand is to give a legal guarantee of Minimum Support Price. Currently, MSP is implemented for only selected crops. This leaves the rest of the crops subjected to market fluctuations. This creates an uncertainty in their income.
3. Swaminathan Committee Recommendations
The protestors further demanded the implementation of Swaminathan Committee recommendations. This committee was formed in 2006 to address and analyze the issues in the agricultural sector. The committee had shared various recommendations like better infrastructure, more investment in Research and Development, and other reforms. The farmers demanded the proper implementation of their recommendations.
4. Secure Life
Pensions and loan waivers to ensure a secure life without the fear of being thrown out of their houses if the crops don’t produce the yield has been a long-standing fear for all farmers. The mounting farmer suicide incidents are witnesses to this scenario. Hence the farmers demand assurance about social and financial security to survive. The changing climatic conditions and unexpected natural calamities have made it difficult for the farmers to sustain. It is to have a contingency plan to curb this issue that the farmers are protesting.
The Impact Of Farmers’ Protest
The protest highlighted the basic issues of the farmers and the prevalent rural poverty. However, due to barricading and the tussle between protestors and Haryana security personnel, the traffic in Delhi came to a standstill. The protest ignited many political debates and would be the one to be used against the ruling party in the upcoming elections.
The need for revisiting the farm laws is more relevant than ever. The farmers’ protest has initiated debates and discussions in that regard. The protest has created awareness about the need for social security for farmers.
However, the Government remains unruffled by the farmers’ protest this time. The news that emerges states that the government is using drones to drop tear gases on protestors. The same drones were procured for agricultural purposes. They also blocked the social media accounts of some leaders. However, economists observe that MSP will lead to food inflation The overproduction of rice, for instance, would deplete the water table of already dry Delhi. MSP is believed to eliminate the possibility of fluctuating prizes. It cannot be ignored that the annual income of Punjab is higher than all of the countries’ grain belts. Hence if MSP is eliminated, the farmers with better means will have things to lose. Still, the farmers believe that MSP is a social insurance that spares the farmers from fluctuating prices and enables them to earn better than before.
The Perspective
The Farmer’s Protest of 2024 lays bare the urgent need for reform in India’s agricultural sector. As the protest progresses, all stakeholders must engage in constructive discussions and work towards sustainable solutions that prioritize the well-being of farmers and ensure the future viability of agriculture in India. Farmers’ protests can be counted as an exhibition of agricultural activism. These farmers are at the forefront of social and political movements, advocating for fair prices, land rights, environmental sustainability, and equitable resource access.
One of the primary drivers of farmer’s protests is the increasing corporatization and industrialization of agriculture. Large agribusinesses wield significant influence over policy-making, often at the expense of small-scale farmers. Additionally, climate change poses significant challenges for farmers, including extreme weather events, water scarcity, and shifting growing seasons. These environmental pressures further compound the vulnerabilities faced by farmers. The protests are one way for the farmers to reclaim normalcy. However, political influence over these protests dulls the sparkle of this revolution. Hence, transparent negotiations without vested interests will bring productive and practical solutions to the farmers’ problems and beneficial and acceptable solutions to both parties.
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