MSP panel: It's hurried paperwork with little groundwork, say farmers

A day after the joint platform of farmers’ unions rejected a committee formed by the Narendra Modi government, alleging it to be “full of government representatives and its loyalists,” it is still uncertain what will be the future of contentious issues like minimum support price (MSP).

Meanwhile, members on both sides justified their stand to The Federal.

“By announcing this committee before the Parliament session, the government has tried to complete the paperwork. But the notification makes clear the ill-intentions of the government behind this committee and the irrelevance of the committee,” said the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) in a statement late on Tuesday (July 19).

Also read: Farmers’ union SKM rejects MSP panel; finds fault with its member composition

“The Morcha will appoint no representatives in the committee,” it stated. This was in response to a notification from the Union government constituting a committee to look at issues related to MSP, natural farming, and crop diversification.

In the notification there was provision to include three SKM members in the panel.

Committee a farce, says AIKS

“It is a farce,” retorted Hannan Mollah, general secretary of the Left-affiliated All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS).

“SKM general body has already decided that we will not respond without a clear term of reference. The proposed committee is full of government officials and pro-BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) sympathisers,” contended the Marxist leader, who is part of SKM leadership.

“It’s all hype and no result,” contended Raju Shetti, founder of the Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana, adding, “Such things have been going on for long. There is still no guarantee on minimum support price (MSP).”

Though a member of SKM, the farmer leader from Maharashtra appeared dissatisfied, saying that “nothing much is happening”. He did not elaborate further.

The SKM put up a stiff resistance against the Centre’s farm laws and sat on a year-long siege on Delhi’s outskirts till these were revoked late last year. However, while withdrawing the sit-in protests, it listed other demands including the legalisation of MSP.

Now, the notified 29-member committee will be headed by former agriculture secretary, Sanjay Agrawal. The hawks in SKM allege that he and NITI Aayog (Agriculture) member Ramesh Chand – also named in the committee – were the architects of the farm laws and “will have a bias”.

“The chairman of the committee is former Agriculture Secretary Sanjay Agarwal, who drafted all three anti-farmer laws. He is accompanied by Ramesh Chand, a member of NITI Aayog, who was the main advocate of these three laws. As experts, it is the economists who have been against giving legal status to MSP,” the statement added.

Among others, the committee also includes a host of secretaries from various departments and other government officials. While it has sought names of three members from SKM, five representatives have been named from other farmer organisations.

SKM tweets doubts

A series of tweets from @kisanItcell1 which posts SKM views, raised doubts over these members. The tweets alleged that the five union leaders named in the committee “spoke openly in favour of the three anti-farmer laws”.

It claimed that Krishnaveer Choudhary, “who is associated with the Bharatiya Krishak Samaj, has joined the BJP, Pramod Kumar Chaudhary is a national executive member of the RSS-affiliated Bharatiya Kisan Sangh”. The twitter handle further added that while Guni Prakash is the president of the Haryana unit of BKU (Bhupendra Mann), Sayyed Pasha Patel is a former BJP MLC from Maharashtra, and Gunwant Patil, associated with the Shetkari Sangathan, is an “WTO advocate and general secretary of the Bharatiya Swatantra Paksha”.

The 82-year-old Mann had courted controversy last year over his reaction after being appointed to a Supreme Court-named committee on the farm laws. He had reportedly said that it was a proud moment for him and that he would tell members about the welfare of Punjab farmers. However, he eventually recused himself from the panel. By that time, the Punjab unit of his own organisation had initiated steps against him.

On his part, Guni Prakash agreed he is in favour of an open market. According to him the now-repealed laws would have given access to Indian farmers to the global market. He claimed that he is for the upliftment of farmers, to introduce technology, including producing BT crops.

“Farmers must be properly compensated. Why restrict selling in mandis only?” he asked, adding, “Agents put them in a debt trap and then compel such peasants to return to him and sell their produce – sometimes even at a loss.”

Prakash questioned the government restricting export of wheat. “This arbitrary ban has to be done away with. Why stop exports when there is a huge demand in the international market? Rather than talking about MSP, seek global access for Indian growers,” he argued.

‘Farmers should get remunerative price’

Confirming that Pramod Kumar Chaudhary will be their representative in the government formed body, Bharatiya Kisan Sangh (BKS) all-India president Badrinarayan Chaudhary dismissed any allegation of supporting the establishment. He stated the organisation is apolitical and pointed out how it has taken on the government on farmers’ issues on several occasions. Though it did not seek a roll-back, BKS had suggested certain amendments to the farm bills.

“Farmers should be ensured remunerative prices. The process of determining MSP should be practical, transparent, scientific, and decontrolled,” demanded Chaudhury.

“Remunerative price needs to be calculated according to the state (or region) and the inputs required. We need to discuss this with the government, experts, taking into account the global perspective,” he added.

Also read: Agriculture Minister claims farmers’ income has doubled, then ties himself in knots

“Now we calculate the input cost (a cost farmer puts for his produce) and add 50 per cent or whatever. But what about remunerative price? We need to ask if the price is right? We need to collect the pertinent and correct data. All aspects have to be taken into account apart from the standard formulae of various input costs,” he said.

He proposed to take into account other factors to determine remunerative price. “What is the input cost, what is the amount of produce, what kind of weather was there, was there any natural calamity, how much is the crop insurance cover, etc., need to be taken into account while calculating selling price,” suggested Chaudhury.

BKS ploughs its own furrow

The BKS does not participate in demonstrations organised by the SKM as it considers such protests “political”. It prefers to plough its own furrow. Rather than going for an eye-to-eye confrontation, it seeks discussion with the government and other stakeholders. However, it has taken to the streets a few times to press for its demands.

On the other hand, the SKM is now organising what it calls “Protest Against Betrayal” in 500 districts for legal guarantee of MSP through a legislation and on other pending demands and on July 31, a “chakka jam” will be held across the country.

As the SKM claimed, “There is no scope to discuss the MSP law in the agenda of this committee full of government representatives and its loyalists,” its calendar of protests is expected to spill over beyond the stated period of August-September.