Newsclick Image by Nitesh Kumar

 
Following the massive workers’ mahapadav on Nov 9-11 at Delhi, it is now the farmers’ turn to occupy the Capital. Thousands of farmers from all over India will congregate at Delhi to demand better prices for their produce and complete freedom from debt. Many families of farmers who committed suicide in the recent past due to debt will also participate in what is being called the Kisan Mukti Sansad (Farmers’ Liberation Parliament).

During the election campaign for the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, Narendra Modi had promised that farmers would get good prices for their crops. He assured that if elected, his govt. would implement the price formula recommended by the MS Swaminathan Commission, which was a fixed minimum support price that covers the cost of production and gives an additional 50% of that to the farmer.

More than three years have passed since Modi won the election and became the Prime Minister. But there is no talk of this promise. In fact, the agriculture minister even denied in Parliament that such a promise was made.

What is the cost of this betrayal? The All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee (AIKSCC), an umbrella forum of over 180 farmers’ organizations, has calculated that for the top 7 crops in the kharif season this year, farmers got prices that were less than Modi’s promise by a whopping Rs.2 lakh crore. The seven crops studied were paddy, maize, soybean, cotton, bajra, groundnut and urad. Market arrivals and costs across hundreds of mandis were analysed by the AIKSCC activists. This has been dubbed #KisanKiLoot (plunder of farmers) by the Sangharsh Committee.

For example, Bhagat Singh, a farmer from Haryana sold 19 quintals of bajra crop. While the MSP is Rs.1425 and the deserved MSP as per PM’s election promise is Rs.1917, the farmer got only Rs.1135 per quintal. This meant #KisanKiLoot of Rs.14,858. A woman farmer from Andhra Pradesh, Gaddam Lalithamma sold 31 quintals of groundnut at a mere Rs.2600 per quintal while the MSP is Rs.4450 and PM’s promised MSP would be Rs.6134. The #KisanKiLoot of this farmer is Rs.1,09,554.

AIKSCC found that farmers would lose Rs. 35,968 crores as compared to prevailing MSPs. This is because in most places farmers don’t even get the govt. backed MSP. If compared to PM’s promise of cost price+50%, the loss balloons to over Rs.2 lakh crore. The reason for this difference between their current loss and the potential loss compared to PM’s promise is that even the declared MSPs are highly inadequate. However, among the 14 crops of Kharif 2017-18, the MSPs for 7 crops have been fixed less than the cost of production. In the other 7 crops, the margin above cost of production is merely 2% to 19%.

Steadily rising input costs, like fuel, pesticides and fertilizers and even water, slashing of subsidies by the govt., are some of the key factors behind this skew in cost versus income imbalance. Another major factor is the opening up of economy to agricultural imports and integration of India’s production with global markets that causes local prices to crash, as has happened in tea, groundnut, rubber etc. Between 1990-91 and 2011-12, while agricultural exports grew at an annual rate of about 13%, agricultural imports grew at a faster rate of about 21%, according to R.Ramakumar of TISS.

This massive injustice in prices is pushing farmers into debt and suicides across the country and igniting repeated protests across the country. In the past two years farmers have agitated for better prices to their produce in Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh and several other states. Besides these, the Bhumi Adhikar Andolan, a front of over 300 organisations, has held kisan jathas across the country in 2016 and AIKSCC organized a Kisan Mukti Yatra covering over 10,000 kilometers throughout the country, meeting nearly 50 lakh farmers and strengthening their struggles.

“It is to address this loot of farmers that we are congregating in large numbers in Delhi on November 20th 2017 in a Kisan Mukti Sansad (a farmers’ freedom parliament) to be organised on Parliament Street. Full remunerative prices as a legal entitlement with correct cost estimations and at least a 50% profit margin over the cost of production, for all farmers and commodities, is our main demand, in addition to a demand for freedom from debt, that includes a comprehensive immediate loan waiver as well as statutory institutional mechanism that addresses farmers’ indebtedness on an ongoing basis,” said AIKSCC leaders at a recent press meet.

On November 20, a draft Bill encompassing the two demands will be introduced and passed after debate by the farmers’ parliament. AIKSCC will invite leaders of political parties and the Prime Minister to come to the Sansad – but only if they are ready to support the Bill and the demands.

Courtesy: Newsclick.in

The post Farmers Lost Over Rs.2 Lakh Crore Due To Low Prices of Crops This Year appeared first on SabrangIndia.

Kisan Mukti Yatra gets off to a strong start in south India; Telangana resonates with demands of freedom from debt and remunerative prices
 
Hyderabad/Suryapet/Nakrekal/Khammam, Sept 16th,  2017: The nationwide Kisan Mukti Yatra saw the participation of thousands of farmers in Telangana on the first day of its South India leg. More than 25 organisations joined hands to highlight farmers’ legitimate demands around debt relief and profitable prices.

The Yatra is being organised by the All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee (AIKSCC) which consists of more than 150 farmer organisations. Prominent leaders and activists who joined the yatra include V.M Singh (Convenor, AIKSCC), Raju Shetty (Member of Parliament), Prof. Kodandram (Telangana JAC), Yogendra Yadav (President, Swaraj India), Dr. Sunilam (Kisan Sangharsh Samiti), Malla Reddy (AIKS), Vemulapalli Venkataramaiah (AIKMS) and others.
 
Addressing a large gathering of farmers in Suryapet, V.M Singh recalled how the Modi government has brazenly reneged on its poll promise of implementing assured price with 50% margin over cost of cultivation.
 
Raju Shetty urged farmers to join in large numbers the Kisan Mukti Sansad on November 20th 2017 in Delhi to make the Centre accountable towards farmers’ well-being.
 
Women farmers from Mahila Kisan Adhikaar Manch lamented the lack of remunerative prices at the end of a season full of hardships and risks. 
 
Exhorting Telangana farmers not to be left behind in a series of victorious farmers’ struggles in different states of India in the recent past, Yogendra Yadav reminded them of Telangana’s rich history of peasant uprisings.
 
Pointing out that the Telangana government is on the one hand urging farmers to collectivise themselves better, Prof. Kodandaram highlighted the duplicity of the government in repressing farmers’ movements in reality. 
 
Malla Reddy explained that the loan waiver scheme of Telangana government with its many shortcomings ended up burdening farmers more than relieving from debt. As the loan waiver debate hots up in the country there is much to learn from Telangana on how not to design loan waivers, he said.
 
Dr. Sunilam cautioned governments to take note of the unprecedented confluence of all farm organisations in the country which will only gather more strength in the days to come.

The post Farmers Unite Show their Strength: Kisan Mukti Yatra, Telangana appeared first on SabrangIndia.

 
      
Madhya Pradesh Police detained prominent leaders V M Singh, Hannan Mollah, Medha Patkar, Yogendra Yadav, Raju Shetty and Others along with 10 full buses of farmers and other supporters. The Kisan Mukti Yatra stopped at Pipliya Mandi today, Everybody peacefully courted arrest
 
Today the Kisan Mukti Yatra started as planned. Leaders from all over the country converged at Pipliya Mandi in Madhya Pradesh to join the Yatra along with hundreds of farmers and supporters. The peaceful Yatra was stopped by Madhya Pradesh Police and was not allowed to proceed and detained hundreds of people participating in the Yatra including women, youth, children, senior citizens and farmer's leaders from many states including V M Singh, Hannan Mollah, Medha Patkar, Yogendra Yadav, Raju Shetty, Umesh Tiwari, Aradhna Bhargava and many others.  

Even yesterday, The MP Govt. arrested Dr. Sunilam, National Convener of National Alliance of People’s Movements (NAPM) and All India Kisan Coordination Committee (AIKCC) intentionally to stop the farmers from raising their voices against the Govt. inaction of resolving their issues of lower MSPs and farm loans. The arrest did not deter the Yatra and more farmers and supporters joined today in rally to Govt.’s anti farmer stand and repressive measures. Kisan Mukti Yatra started with two point agenda, farm loan waiver of all kind and to raise the Minimum Support Price by 50% as per the Swaminathan Commission recommendations.  

National Alliance of People’s Movements (NAPM) strongly condemn the anti farmer, anti people measures being taken by Madhya Pradesh government and chief minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan. The CM has lost all moral grounds to govern and must resign immediately and face the people’s resolve in the state. The government has been suppressing all people’s issues and protests, be it Mandsaur farmer’s agitation or the Narmada Valley protests, it is alleged.

NAPM has requested the citizens of the country to call the chief minister’s office, write to them, tag them on the social media questioning against the suppression of rising farmer's and people's voices in the state. Also please demand the following:

1)    Immediately release renowned farmer’s leader Dr. Sunilam arrested on July 05, 2017.
2)    Immediately release all the detained leaders and supporters of Kisan Mukti Yatra.
3)    Allow Kisan Mukti Yatra to travel to villages and meet farmers as planned.

 
The contact details of Chief Minister and his office are as follows:
1)    Governor of Madhya Pradesh, Shri Om Prakash Kohli, Phone +91-755-4080170, Fax: +91-755-4080172
2)    Special Secretary to Governor of MP, Shri J N Maalpani, Phone +91-755-4080110, +91-755-4223436
3)    Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Office, Contact: Phone +91-755-2441581, Fax: +91-755-2441781
4)    Special Secretary to CM, Shri Deepak Khandekar – +91-755-2441314
5)    Tweet to CM Shivraj Singh Chauhan @ChouhanShivraj

The post ALERT: Medha Patkar, Hannan Mollah, Raju Shetty, Yogendra Yadav & 100s Detained: MP #Kisan Mukti Yatra appeared first on SabrangIndia.