INDIA, still a democracy?
I know the title may seem harsh, but it reflects the severity of the situation. There’s an extreme breach of democracy happening in India regularly. One of the pressing issues we’re facing today is the alarming decline of the agriculture sector. This problem has persisted for ages, yet it has often been overlooked.
Currently, India is grappling with widespread farmer protests, as farmers are raising their voices against unfavorable agricultural policies. The government’s response has been contentious, with attempts to suppress the protests and prevent farmers from reaching the capital city, Delhi.
Unfortunately, this issue has become highly politicized, with various parties trying to exploit the situation for their own gains. Many social media posts falsely accuse the farmers of being aligned with the opposition and inciting chaos to undermine the ruling government.
It’s crucial to recognize the gravity of the situation and address the root causes of the protests, rather than fueling political divisions and misinformation.
HERE’S SOME REASONS WHY I THINK I SUPPORT THE FARMERS-
!-THE MSP
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The Minimum Support Price (MSP) is the lowest price at which the government is obligated to purchase crops from farmers in India. Once purchased, the government sells these crops at subsidized rates. The MSP is determined based on various factors such as labor, input costs, and other expenses incurred by farmers during the crop cultivation process.
Farmers in India, particularly in Punjab, are demanding that the MSP be made mandatory for all buyers as the buying price from farmers. This is because, after selling their crops to the government, farmers are left with the option of selling the remaining produce in the private market. However, in the private market, there is no fixed rate for crops, leading to exploitation of farmers by private companies.
These companies often pay farmers minimal amounts, sometimes even less than the cost of production. Small farmers, in particular, are heavily exploited in this scenario as they have no alternative but to sell their crops at the prices offered by private companies. Consequently, they struggle to cover their production costs and make a living.
Meanwhile, these large companies reap significant profits in the market, while the farmers who are the backbone of the agricultural sector struggle to make ends meet.
!-LOANS
According to the Accidental Deaths and Suicides in India report for 2019 by the National Crime Records Bureau, at least 10,281 individuals involved in the farm sector took their own lives, accounting for 7.4% of the total suicides in India, which numbered 139,516.
Loans as small as 10,000 to 50,000 rupees can push a small farmer to such extreme measures. One of the primary demands of farmers is the dismissal of loans for small farmers. While these small loans may not significantly impact the government’s budget, they would be incredibly beneficial for farmers to sustain their farming activities.
Interestingly, the current government has waived off 7 lakh crore rupees of loans for big businesses over the span of 10 years. It raises questions as to why the government hesitates to do the same for small farmers. This discrepancy is often discussed on social media platforms, with people questioning how many more loans the government will waive off for big businesses while ignoring the plight of small farmers.
Personally, I fail to understand why the same criteria are not applied when the government dismisses loans for large businessmen.
!- THE REMAINING CHARGES
In this “PROTEST 2.0,” we’re witnessing a troubling trend from the last protest where many farmers were unjustly charged and accused of various offenses simply to deter them from protesting. What’s even more concerning is that these cases against the farmers remain open long after the protests have ended.
The third major demand of the farmers’ protest revolves around this issue — they’re calling for the government to close these unjust cases as they lack any merit. However, it seems that the government is more focused on treating protesters as anti-national terrorists who need to be suppressed by any means necessary.
!-PENSION is too much to ask
This might not be one of the major demands, but it’s certainly among the demands of the farmers’ protest in India. Farmers are calling for pension benefits after the age of 65, which seems challenging given the current scenario, especially since the government has already scrapped the pension scheme for government officials. For the middle class and those below, expecting such benefits from the Indian government might seem unrealistic.
However, in my opinion, everything is negotiable. If the government can negotiate significant deals with other countries, then finding a solution for our own people shouldn’t be impossible. While implementing such a pension scheme may appear daunting, it’s not entirely out of reach if there’s a genuine commitment to address the farmers’ concerns. Regardless of the outcome, it seems like farmers are expecting a lot from a government like ours.
!- Farmers to opposition journey
I came across a post on social media questioning why the protests are only happening in states where the central government is not in power, suggesting that the opposition is behind it since they govern in Punjab. Frankly, it’s laughable that instead of focusing on the actual issue, people are resorting to such useless arguments.
A counter to this argument is to consider that in states where the central government holds power, people may not feel empowered to speak up, and even if they do, the government swiftly suppresses dissent (as we’ve seen in Uttar Pradesh). Additionally, the main opposition party has pledged to address all the farmers’ demands if they come to power. However, this all seems like nonsense to me because I believe people need to recognize the problem for what it is — a pressing issue affecting farmers — rather than seeing it as a political opportunity.
!- THE REMAINING CHARGES
After the last protest, “Protest 1.0,” we witnessed numerous videos emerging showing individuals waving Khalistani flags (the flag associated with Sikh separatists) during the protests. Mainstream media extensively covered this, portraying these individuals as separatists rather than genuine farmers. The public bought into this narrative, largely due to the convincing nature of the videos.
However, in one particularly viral video, it was revealed that a boy featured in the footage was actually associated with a political party aligned with the central government. It’s perplexing how mainstream media failed to highlight instances like this, where efforts were made to discredit the farmers’ movement by defaming them.
!- FARMERS as terrorists?
The government’s efforts to halt the protests using barricades and police force give the impression that they’re treating the protesters like terrorists. In my opinion, this represents a significant breach of democracy, as it restricts our ability to voice our concerns and demands. How can we claim to live in a democratic and free country if we’re unable to express ourselves freely? I doubt our heroes who fought for democracy would be pleased with this situation.
!- ELECTION the only hope
One of the main reasons for the current protests is the upcoming elections. With elections drawing near, the government needs to address the farmers’ issues to maintain its hold on power. If not, a significant portion of the country’s population — the farmers — won’t be pleased. This makes it an opportune time for protests, as there’s a higher likelihood of the demands being met.
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