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Farmer's Unions: Incomprehensible Stubbornness

By Sunil Garodia
First publised on 2021-01-22 02:46:00

About the Author

Sunil Garodia Editor-in-Chief of indiacommentary.com. Current Affairs analyst and political commentator. Author of Cyber Scams in India, Digital Arrest, The Money Trap and The Human Hack

It is unfortunate that the farmer's unions have rejected the government offer of suspending the new farm laws for 18 months and let a joint committee of government and farmer's representatives find a solution in that time through discussions and negotiations. One had thought that better sense would prevail and the farmer's would treat this offer as a climb down by the government and a victory for them and grab it. But it seems that the farmers have become infatuated with their protest movement and their advisors are misleading them.

The farmers have to realize that for the last several decades, farming in India, especially in Punjab and Haryana, is being done for crops that are in oversupply status. Wheat and rice are rotting in government warehouses as there is a glut. Especially in Punjab, the sowing of the rice crop depletes ground water and does not make sense in a water-deficient state. Further, the farmers indulge in stubble burning to get the land ready for sowing. This is being done just to sell these products in the mandis at MSP. On the other hand, pulses, fruits, flowers and edible oils are being imported. A stop has to be put to this MSP-oriented and unwanted farming.

Reforms are necessary in agriculture sector to make India truly self sufficient in crops and not only in food grains. If the farmers were to shift to farming crops that are needed by the nation, they will be serving the cause better. Crops amenable to value addition will fetch better returns too. It will be better on economic grounds (for example, import substitution by growing oil seeds for increased manufacture of edible oils in India) and the environment will be less harmed if the farmers make this shift.

Hence, instead of being against reforms per se (which their refusal to even discuss the new farm laws and keep insisting on their repeal proves), the farmers should be reasonable and change their inflexible attitude. They should form a team of experts, join the proposed joint committee and discuss reforms. Thereafter, they should allow the government to enact farm laws that take their interests into account. It has been reported that 15 unions are willing to accept the latest government proposals and move ahead but 17 other unions are totally against it. Is there any point in continuing with the negotiations if the unions keep displaying this stubbornness?

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