Helps%2080%25%20farmers%2C%20saves%20Rs%203%2C000%20cr%20paid%20to%20middlemen%3A%20Why%20Modi%20govt%20is%20not%20keen%20on%20repealing%20law

A%20stream%20of%20television%20images%20of%20clashing%20farmers%20and%20police%20caught%20in%20a%20haze%20of%20tear%20gas%20fumes%20on%20the%20borders%20of%20Delhi%20when%20it%20is%20going%20through%20a%20third%20wave%20of%20COVID-19%20can%20hardly%20make%20good%20press%20for%20any%20government.

But%20what%20is%20clear%20is%20that%20Prime%20Minister%20Narendra%20Modi%20won%u2019t%20let%20a%20street%20storm%20over%20the%20three%20Central%20laws%20for%20opening%20up%20agricultural%20markets%20undermine%20his%20government%u2019s%20push%20for%20changes.%26nbsp%3B

It%20is%20not%20because%20Modi%20thinks%20he%20is%20unassailable%20on%20this%20issue%20or%20that%20the%20Bharatiya%20Janata%20Party%20%28BJP%29%20won%u2019t%20suffer%20collateral%20damage%20in%20Punjab%20%28where%20its%2024-year-old%20alliance%20with%20the%20Akali%20Dal%20ended%20abruptly%29%20and%20Haryana%2C%20where%20its%20Chief%20Minister%20Manohar%20Lal%20Khattar%20looks%20like%20he%20has%20more%20than%20his%20hands%20full%20with%20problems.

%3Cstrong%3EAlso%20Read%20%7C%3C/strong%3E%20%3Ca%20target%3D%22_blank%22%20rel%3D%22noopener%20noreferrer%22%20href%3D%22https%3A//opoyi.com/farmers-refuse-to-head-to-designated-protest-site-in-north-delhi%22%3E%3Cstrong%3EFarmers%20refuse%20to%20head%20to%20designated%20protest%20site%20in%20north%20Delhi%3C/strong%3E%3C/a%3E

Rather%2C%20Modi%20is%20convinced%20that%20these%20changes%20are%20in%20the%20best%20interest%20of%20more%20than%2080%25%20farmers%20who%20don%u2019t%20benefit%20from%20the%20system%20of%20minimum%20support%20price%20%28MSP%29%20and%20a%20network%20of%20artiyas%20%28middlemen%29%20in%20the%20farm%20trade.%20His%20government%20wants%20to%20eliminate%20middlemen%20so%20that%20farmers%20can%20get%20fair%20remuneration%20for%20their%20produce.

In%20Punjab%20alone%2C%20these%20middlemen%20earn%20Rs%203%2C000%20crore%20annually%20and%2C%20naturally%2C%20want%20the%20new%20laws%20to%20be%20withdrawn.

Notwithstanding%20an%20impression%20in%20some%20sections%20that%20a%20farmer%20agitation%20run%20by%20500-odd%20bodies%20%u2014%20many%20of%20them%20with%20left%20and%20radical%20left%20leanings%20%u2014%20can%20spin%20out%20of%20control%20and%20knock%20out%20the%20BJP%u2019s%20prospects%20across%20India%2C%20Modi%u2019s%20approach%20is%20upfront.

His%20ministers%20will%20be%20ready%20to%20keep%20up%20on%20the%20dialogue%20with%20the%20farmers%u2019%20organisations%20to%20clear%20misapprehensions%u2014rather%20than%20buckle%20under%20pressure.

That%20means%20local%20BJP%20units%20will%20have%20to%20learn%20to%20swim%20upstream%20to%20convince%20their%20supporters%20that%20these%20reforms%20are%20the%20best%20way%20forward.

That%u2019s%20the%20clear%20message%20that%20has%20gone%20across%20to%20top%20Union%20ministers%20and%20many%20BJP%20leaders%2C%20particularly%20to%20those%20who%20hail%20from%20Punjab%20and%20Haryana%20%u2014%20the%20hotbed%20of%20the%20current%20agitation%20that%20is%20fuelled%20by%20a%20mix%20of%20fears%20among%20sections%20of%20farmers%20and%20a%20motley%20of%20anti-Modi%20groups%20that%20senses%20an%20opportunity%20for%20a%20mass%20upsurge.

Besides%2C%20there%20may%20be%20other%20reasons%20why%20farmers%20in%20Punjab%20are%20more%20agitated%20than%20the%20rest%20of%20their%20folk%20elsewhere%20in%20the%20country.%20Beyond%20the%20merit%20%26nbsp%3Band%20demerits%20of%20the%20changes%2C%20there%20is%20fear%20of%20the%20future.

%3Cstrong%3EAlso%20Read%20%7C%3C/strong%3E%20%3Ca%20target%3D%22_blank%22%20rel%3D%22noopener%20noreferrer%22%20href%3D%22https%3A//opoyi.com/farmers-are-fighting-battle-of-truth-and-no-govt-can-stop-them-rahul-gandhi%22%3E%3Cstrong%3EFarmers%20are%20fighting%20%27battle%20of%20truth%27%20and%20no%20govt%20can%20stop%20them%3A%20Rahul%20Gandhi%3C/strong%3E%3C/a%3E

That%20needs%20to%20be%20addressed%20even%20more%20convincingly%20than%20hitherto%20through%20a%20dialogue%20that%20will%20promote%20faith%20and%20trust%u2014rather%20than%20the%20fear%20that%20ultimately%20everything%20tends%20to%20benefit%20some%20corporate%20entities%20at%20all%20costs.

Last%20September%2C%20Parliament%20passed%20three%20bills%20deregulating%20the%20sale%20of%20agricultural%20produce%2C%20legalising%20contract%20farming%20and%20liberalising%20stock%20limit%20norms.%26nbsp%3B

The%20three%20pieces%20of%20legislation%u2014the%20Farmers%20Produce%20Trade%20and%20Commerce%20%28Promotion%20and%20Facilitation%29%20Bill%2C%20the%20Farmers%20%28Empowerment%20and%20Protection%29%20Agreement%20on%20Price%20Assurance%20and%20Farm%20Services%20Bill%2C%20and%20the%20Essential%20Commodities%20%28Amendment%29%20Bill%u2014got%20presidential%20assent%20on%20September%2028.

Between%20October%20and%20November%2C%20Congress%20leader%20Rahul%20Gandhi%20got%20the%20Congress-ruled%20governments%20of%20Punjab%2C%20Chhattisgarh%20and%20Rajasthan%20to%20legislate%20their%20own%20farm%20Bills%20on%20the%20grounds%20that%20the%20Central%20laws%20not%20only%20were%20against%20farmers%u2019%20interests%20but%20also%20violated%20federal%20principles.%20Another%20opposition-ruled%20state%2C%20Maharashtra%2C%20declared%20that%20it%20would%20not%20implement%20the%20Central%20farm%20laws%20and%20issued%20an%20order%20to%20that%20effect.

Agriculture%20is%20a%20State%20subject%20under%20the%20Constitution.%20The%20Congress%20too%2C%20in%20its%20manifestos%20for%20Punjab%20polls%20in%202017%20and%20the%20Lok%20Sabha%20polls%20last%20year%2C%20promised%20better%20opportunities%20for%20farmers%2C%20beyond%20the%20mandis.

%3Cstrong%3EAlso%20Read%20%7C%3C/strong%3E%20%3Ca%20target%3D%22_blank%22%20rel%3D%22noopener%20noreferrer%22%20href%3D%22https%3A//opoyi.com/centre-is-open-to-dialogue-to-find-a-solution-haryana-cm-khattar-to-farmers%22%3E%3Cstrong%3ECentre%20is%20open%20to%20dialogue%20to%20find%20a%20solution%3A%20Haryana%20CM%20Khattar%20to%20farmers%3C/strong%3E%3C/a%3E

In%20September%20itself%2C%20the%20BJP%20had%20carried%20out%20a%2015-day%20campaign%20where%20senior%20leaders%2C%20ministers%2C%20MPs%20and%20party%20functionaries%20reached%20out%20to%20farmers%20for%20explaining%20the%20new%20laws.%20But%20its%20efficacy%20is%20in%20doubt%20as%20the%20BJP%20rank%20and%20file%20could%20not%20grasp%20the%20positive%20aspects%20of%20the%20changes.

What%20needs%20to%20be%20explained%20further%20is%20how%20an%20opening%20up%20of%20options%20for%20farmers%20to%20sell%20their%20produce%20beyond%20the%20local%20mandis%20will%20create%20%26nbsp%3Ba%20new%20order%20of%20beneficiaries%20and%20not%20just%20corporate%20entities%2C%20as%20the%20opposition%20has%20sought%20to%20project.%3Cbr%3EEven%20if%20local%20BJP%20leaders%20wonder%20why%20Modi%20invited%20such%20a%20big%20trouble%20by%20disturbing%20the%20existing%20order%20of%20things%2C%20they%20have%20to%20be%20re-told%20that%20if%20the%20fate%20of%20a%20majority%20of%20farmers%20has%20to%20change%2C%20then%20the%20status%20quo%20is%20no%20answer.

Eventually%2C%20these%20changes%20will%20bring%20big%20buyers%2C%20supermarkets%20and%20exporters%20to%20farmers%u2019%20doorstep.%20Also%2C%20there%20is%20no%20basis%20that%20the%20new%20system%20could%20pave%20the%20way%20for%20the%20government%20to%20stop%20buying%20grains%20at%20guaranteed%20MSP%20and%20leave%20them%20at%20the%20mercy%20of%20private%20buyers.

As%20a%20proof%20of%20his%20government%u2019s%20commitment%20to%20farmers%2C%20Modi%20wants%20Union%20ministers%20and%20BJP%20rank%20and%20file%20to%20propagate%20that%2C%20as%20an%20example%2C%20the%20MSP%20of%20rice%20went%20up%20by%2043%25%20between%202013-14%20and%202020-21.%20Also%2C%20payments%20made%20to%20farmers%20for%20paddy%20procurement%20had%20doubled%20under%20his%20government%20compared%20to%20those%20under%20the%20previous%20government.

%3Cstrong%3EAlso%20Read%20%7C%3C/strong%3E%20%3Ca%20target%3D%22_blank%22%20rel%3D%22noopener%20noreferrer%22%20href%3D%22https%3A//opoyi.com/sukhbir-badal-calls-haryana-police-action-on-farmers-punjabs-2611%22%3E%3Cstrong%3ESukhbir%20Badal%20calls%20Haryana%20police%20action%20on%20farmers%20%27Punjab%27s%2026/11%27%3C/strong%3E%3C/a%3E

Significantly%2C%20there%20is%20MSP%20for%2023%20crops.%20But%20the%20government%20buys%20mostly%20grains%20from%20farmers%20at%20these%20prices%2C%20thereby%20encouraging%20those%20who%20grow%20staple%20crops.%20The%20purchase%20of%20%26nbsp%3Bother%20crops%20is%20determined%20by%20what%20markets%20want.

A%20big%20question%20is%20why%20can%u2019t%20Modi%20agree%20to%20a%20law%20barring%20sale%20of%20farm%20produce%20below%20MSP.%26nbsp%3B%20There%20is%20another%20reality%20to%20reckon%20with%3A%20private%20buyers%20won%u2019t%20buy%20when%20the%20demand%20is%20low%20and%20the%20government%20won%u2019t%20be%20able%20to%20buy%20all%20the%20produce%20for%20all%20the%20years%20to%20come%20and%20MSP%20rates%20have%20got%20to%20be%20reviewed%20every%20year.

Eventually%2C%20higher%20MSPs%20could%20pose%20problems%20for%20India%20at%20the%20World%20Trade%20Organisation%20%28WTO%29%20on%20the%20charge%20of%20heavily%20subsidising%20agriculture%2C%20risking%20trade%20barriers.

Besides%2C%20our%20farmers%20must%20learn%20to%20diversify%20and%20crops%20that%20makes%20less%20demand%20on%20water%2C%20command%20better%20prices%20and%20reflect%20consumption%20patterns.%20The%20crisis%20faced%20by%20cane%20farmers%20and%20sugar%20millers%20every%20year%20is%20a%20good%20example.%20A%20glut%20in%20production%20and%20the%20millers%u2019%20inability%20to%20pay%20rising%20MSPs%20every%20year%20have%20led%20to%20a%20huge%20backlog%20of%20arrears%20due%20to%20the%20growers.

%3Ca%20class%3D%22mention%22%20data-mention%3D%22%23FarmersProtest%22%20data-user-id%3D%22i2q9L5EgFmNs%22%20href%3D%22/topic/farmers-protest%22%3E%23FarmersProtest%3C/a%3E%20%3Ca%20class%3D%22mention%22%20data-mention%3D%22%23FarmLaws%22%20data-user-id%3D%22ZOxTZlLVRpvy%22%20href%3D%22/topic/farm-laws%22%3E%23FarmLaws%3C/a%3E%20%3Ca%20class%3D%22mention%22%20data-mention%3D%22%23NarendraModi%22%20data-user-id%3D%22jDp4x2dV65uK%22%20href%3D%22/topic/narendra-modi%22%3E%23NarendraModi%3C/a%3E%20%3Ca%20class%3D%22mention%22%20data-mention%3D%22%23BJP%22%20data-user-id%3D%22cqfihWqpWO59%22%20href%3D%22/topic/bjp%22%3E%23BJP%3C/a%3E%20%3Ca%20class%3D%22mention%22%20data-mention%3D%22%23Punjab%22%20data-user-id%3D%22CbiAXyCgtqTK%22%20href%3D%22/topic/punjab%22%3E%23Punjab%3C/a%3E%20%3Ca%20class%3D%22mention%22%20data-mention%3D%22%23Haryana%22%20data-user-id%3D%22ADTxPQSxc9yK%22%20href%3D%22/topic/haryana%22%3E%23Haryana%3C/a%3E%26nbsp%3B