Farmers Adamant, No Resolution In Sight
Editor-in-Chief of indiacommentary.com. Current Affairs analyst and political commentator.
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By Sunil Garodia
First publised on 2020-12-02 14:58:33
About the Author
Editor-in-Chief of indiacommentary.com. Current Affairs analyst and political commentator.
View all posts by this Author
The farmers' unions have hardened their stand in the day they were expected to come out with a calibrated response to whatever discussions had taken place between them and the Centre yesterday. Since the second round of talks is slated for tomorrow, this does not auger well for a resolution. One could have taken it as posturing on part of the unions, but the clear terms in which they have asked for the laws to be repealed, even demanding a special winter session of parliament to speed up the process, shows that they have made up their mind that nothing less than a complete withdrawal will do.
This is incomprehensible. Initially, their main grouse was against the noncommittal stance of the Centre regarding the minimum support price (MSP) and the fear that the corporate sector will take over farming in the country. One had thought that the government would convince them by promising MSP in perpetuity for certain crops (which in any case would become defunct once crops started getting better prices due to demand from large aggregators and processing industries that would buy directly from the farmers under the new system) and by issuing clear and detailed guidelines about how the new pricing and purchase system will work, with inbuilt checks and balances to protect the interests of the farmers.
But if the farmers are not even willing to make an attempt to listen to the government and work out a deal, if they are intent on getting the laws repealed, the situation is likely to get uglier unless the Centre has interlocutors who can mediate and bring the two sides to a middle ground. In this regard, the Centre's suggestion to form a panel which would have included representatives of both sides along with outside experts was very sensible. But the farmers rejected that out rightly. One feels that the farmers think that the movement they have started would peter out if time is wasted. Already, they have sounded the warning bell by saying that tomorrow is the last chance for the Centre to agree on repealing the laws otherwise they will take other steps. Most other steps they are likely to take, including blocking roads, may lead to violence and that would not be in anyone's interest.
The whole country wants a peaceful resolution to the dispute. But this resolution cannot come by repealing the laws as demanded by the farmers. If that happens, no reform will ever get done as one or other group will start holding the government to ransom. There has to be a middle ground. Those who are advising the farmers must leave politics behind and redo their calculations. There is much to commend in the bills and they can truly be game changers for the agricultural sector. Hence, the farmers should list their objections, or discuss the laws clause by clause, as suggested by the Centre, and resolve the dispute. Inflexibility on part of the farmers will only prolong the issue and the country will suffer for that.
