Press Release
24th January 2015
Farmers Angry with NDA Government Policies on
Agriculture-
Planned a Massive Demonstration on 18 March: BKU
The farmers unions affiliated with the All India
Coordination Committee of Farmers Movement (AICCFM) met for 2 days at the
Punjab Bhawan in New Delhi under the chairmanship of Shri Ajmer Singh Lakhowal,
President BhartiyaKissan Union, Punjab. During this meeting, the farmers
leaders from 12 farmers unions intensely discussed the current burning issues
in Indian agriculture which included, the Land Acquisition Act Ordinance, NDA
government U-Turn in the WTO, the recent report of the Shanta Kumar High Level
Committee for restructuring FCI, and others. The meeting started with a 2
minutes silence to mourn suicide by hundreds of farmers during the current NDA
government regime. The farmers suicide in India are continuing despite many
promises by the NarendraModi before the election that he would work for the
Indian farmers. However after becoming Prime Minister, he expressedno concern
for agrarian crisis and continuing farmers suicides. During NDA Government
since May 2014, more than 7000 farmers have committed suicide.
During this 2 days meeting, farmers leaders
focussed on some key issues which are of great concern and they made the
following demands to the NDA government to express their frustration with this government agrarian policies. These are:
1.
Withdraw
Land Ordinance (Dec 2014): Farmers Reject the Ordinance to Amend the Right
to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and
Resettlement Act 2013, promulgated on 30 December 2014. This Ordinance completely
reversed all pro-farmers provisions of this Act, which was achieved after a
long struggle since 1894. The present Ordinance brought the Land Acquisition
Act back to the 1894 level, rather worse than that. If it gets passed in the
Parliament, it will be a completely Pro-Industry and an Anti Farmer Act. The
AICCFM farmers demanded to withdraw this Ordinance and effectively implement
the 2013 Act on Land Acquisition.
2.
Provide
Remunerative Price for Farmers Produce and Implement C2+50:BhartiyaJanta
Party (BJP), in its manifesto (2014) announced to provide remunerative price
for farmers produce and to implement Swaminathan Report’s (2005) recommendation
to provide MSP based on Cost of production (C2) plus 50% as premium as the procurement
price for 23 crops announced every year. Despite coming into power for more
than 240 days, NDA government has made No attempt to implement Swaminathan
report and no substantial increase was made in the MSP announced in 2014. We
demand from the NDA government to fulfil its commitment as announced in its
manifesto and provide remunerative price for farmers produce.
3.
Farmers
RejectShanta Kumar High Level Committee Report and Recommendation on
Restructuring FCI: Farmers organisations present at the meeting were quite
outraged at the Anti-Farmers and Anti Food Security recommendations of the High Level Committee (HCL) on restructuring of Food
Corporation of India (FCI). BJP again made a U-turn on its promise made in the
manifesto whichfavoured universal food security. But the recommendations of HCL
completely revered this position. It says FCI to step out of procurement
operations as well as to dilute the National Food Security Act (NFSA) to reduce its coverage from present 67% to 40% which would
be disastrous not only for the livelihood of millions of farmers but will
affect food security of the millions of India’s landless, poor and destitutes.
And in order to finish the MSP system, this committee recommends bringing in
the cash transfer in the food security programme.
4.
Write
off all farm loans: Today the increasing farmers suicide indicate that
Indian farmers are still under huge loan burden from institutional sources and private
moneylenders. Farmers leaders demanded that the NDA government must write off
all institutional loans of farmers. Government must also instruct public Banks
and Cooperatives banks to give fresh loans to farmers at 0% interest.
5.
Institute
Government Policy to compensate loss due to Natural Calamity: Farmers
leaders demanded that the NDA government bring in a Union Policy to compensate
farmers for the crop loss due to natural calamity. There should be a clear-cut
provision for irrigated and non-irrigated farmers for compensation. The
Government must also institute an Emergency Fund to provide compensation to
farmers on an urgent basis in case of crop loss due to natural calamities, like
floods, heavy rains and drought.
6.
No
Trade Liberalization in Agriculture: The NDA government Mustnot allow any
trade liberalization in agricultural goods through WTO or FTAs. Due to the huge
loss of Indian farmers because of subsidised imports of agricultural goods from
developed countries, farmers demand from Indian government to move a proposal in
the WTO to remove Agreement on Agriculture (AoA). Farmers also demanded that
agriculture related provisions from all FTAs negotiated by the Indian
government must be dropped.
7.
Institute
Farmers Pay Commission: Farmers demanded from the NDA government to
institute a Farmers Minimum Income Guarantee Commission to provide income
support to farmers. Through this commission, government must ensure income to
farmers which is equal to the salary of a 4th Grade government
employees to help them live a dignified life.
8.
NO
GMOs: The Farmers unions like to remind the NDA government to fulfil their
promise made in their manifesto not to allow field trials, commercialisationor
import of any Genetically Engineered seeds or crops or trees.
9. Pay Arrears to Sugarcane Farmers: The
sugarcane farmers have not received their arrears for last two years. The
farmers leaders demanded that instead of forcing sugar industries to pay to
farmers, the government instead pay all arrears due to sugarcane farmers
immediately and collect the same from the industries.
The farmers’ leaders are completely dissatisfied
with the way the present NDA government is dealing with the agrarian issues.
All the achievements made in last several decades in the interest of the Indian
farmers have been undone in last 240 days of NDA government. Therefore all the
farmer unions associated with All India Coordination Committee of Farmers’
Movements decided to ORGANISE A MASSIVE RALLY AND DEMOSTRATION ON WEDNESDAY, 18th
March 2015 atJantarMantar in New Delhi.
One Lakh farmers from all over India will converge in Delhi toput
pressure on the government to accept their demands.
|
Ch. RakeshTikait,
National Spokesman,
BKU
Yudhvir Singh
General Secretary,
AICCFM
Ratan Singh Mann
BKU President
Haryana
Rajvir Singh
BKU, NCR
|
Ajmer Singh Lakhowal,
State President,
BKU Punjab,
ChamarasaPatil
Karnataka RajyaRaithaSangha, Karnataka
Vijender Singh
BKU, Haryana
KT
Gangadhar
Karnataka RajyaRaithaSangha, Karnataka
|
KS Puttanaiah (MLA),
Karnataka RajyaRaithaSangha, Karnataka
K. SellaMutthu,
President, Tamil Nadu Farmers Association,
Tamil Nadu
Nallagounder,
UzhavarUlaippalarKatchi,
Tamil Nadu Farmers Association
Ms. Rajariga
President, Women Wing,
Tamil Nadu Farmers Association
|
