India’s farmer protests: Challenges, realities, and potential solutions

 Dipak Kurmi

(The writer can be reached at dipaknewslive@gmail.com.)

 New Delhi finds itself encircled by the police as it confronts a protest led by Punjab farmers. This latest farmers’ march towards the capital signifies the resurgence of their agitation, labelled Farmers’ Stir 2.0. This comes in the aftermath of a year-long protest against three controversial farm laws, which ultimately led to their withdrawal by the Centre in November 2021. The ongoing demonstration has effectively brought movement in New Delhi to a standstill.

In the initial two days of the latest farmers’ protest, the authorities’ reactions to the widespread discontent among the farming community have been notably excessive. Riot police, seemingly determined to prevent farmers and their ubiquitous tractors from entering New Delhi at all costs, have not only deployed stringent measures but have also resorted to firing tear gas shells. Some of these tear gas canisters have been launched from drones, targeting columns of demonstrators attempting to breach barricades, particularly at the Shambhu border between Punjab and Haryana.

Despite the lack of success in advancing negotiations in the initial round, discussions have persisted. It appears that the government, possibly drawing insights from the significant “Delhi Chalo” agitation of 2020, has realised the importance of approaching the issue by fostering consensus with the protesting farmers. The emphasis is now on earnestly addressing the concerns of the farmers and actively exploring solutions to alleviate their challenges.

It may appear paradoxical that the farmers from Punjab are at the forefront of the current wave of protests, considering their relatively favourable agricultural conditions compared to their counterparts in various other states. Enjoying benefits such as free power, substantial allocations of subsidised fertilisers, and abundant water resources for irrigation, Punjab farmers exhibit high productivity levels, particularly in wheat and rice cultivation. Furthermore, they benefit from reasonable access to government grain procurement facilitated by the Minimum Support Price system.

Nevertheless, it is imperative to acknowledge that the situation is far from ideal for these farmers. Despite their dedication to sustaining the nation with their toil in agriculture, they grapple with genuine income challenges arising from the uncertainties of the free market and Minimum Support Price (MSP) rates that fall short of being adequately remunerative. Additionally, the looming threats of climate change, leading to erratic rainfall patterns, add another layer of unpredictability to their livelihoods.

The approach should involve a comprehensive discussion of their issues, delving deeply into the challenges they face. Crafting viable solutions is crucial. However, yielding to the demand for a mandatory law enforcing the Minimum Support Price (MSP) might have adverse consequences, proving to be disruptive and counterproductive. Such a move could potentially result in uncontrollable inflation in food prices.

This is a key rationale behind the reluctance of the UPA-2 government in 2010 and the subsequent NDA administrations since 2014 to consider endorsing the Swaminathan committee report. The report proposed a significant increase in the Minimum Support Price (MSP), suggesting it should be at least 50 percent higher than the weighted average cost of production. However, both governments have refrained from adopting this recommendation.

Farmers in France and Germany have similarly expressed discontent with their circumstances, highlighting that the agitated state of mind among Indian farmers is not an isolated phenomenon. However, in an economy where nearly half of the 1.4 billion population depends on agriculture, there is a pressing need to carefully consider how to enhance support for them. Finding effective solutions becomes paramount.

Securing the capital from protests and camping farmers should not be the sole focus of addressing this second wave of protests. Given the ongoing election season, opportunistic opposition parties, none of whom endorsed such demands in their respective states or during their tenure at the Centre, are now making grand promises regarding the implementation of an MSP law should they come into power.

The way forward appears intricately challenging for the ruling party. However, there is a potential solution: devising a strategy to increase the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for essential crops like wheat and rice, which form the foundation of the free ration scheme benefiting 80 crore people. This approach could provide some respite to the hardworking individuals who dedicate their efforts to cultivating the land.