Build consensus
Instead of pushing the divisive narrative, the Centre must explore the consensus route to resolve the farm crisis
As ‘Bharat Bandh’ reflected the collective angst of farmers, the scars of wounds inflicted by the NDA government’s arbitrary farm laws will take a long time to heal. Instead of further pushing the divisive narrative to discredit the dissent, the Centre must explore the consensus route to find some middle ground to resolve the crisis. The politics of confrontation has already fractured the country’s social fabric. Minimum Support Price (MSP) must be made a legal right of farmers. The three agriculture laws that have pushed the country into deep turmoil must be modified forthwith without making farmers endure any more suffering. It is not just farmers but the issue affects the economic fabric of the country. The agitation has been bolstered by a wave of popular support, exemplified by the daily announcements of eminent sportspersons, writers and other eminent personalities returning national awards. There is a genuine apprehension among the protesting farmers that powerful investors would bind them to unfavourable contracts drafted by big corporate law firms, with liability clauses that would be beyond the understanding of poor farmers. The Centre has argued that the Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, liberates farmers by giving them the freedom to sell their produce anywhere, but there are fears that it would lead to corporatisation of agriculture. As a result, the vagaries of monsoon and market will become unpredictable determinants of the destiny of farmers in future.
Though the government has claimed that the new laws would herald the much-needed reforms by eliminating middlemen and removing restrictions on the sale of agricultural produce, farmers’ organisations and opposition parties have been arguing that the laws would deprive farmers of guaranteed MSP for their produce and leave them at the mercy of corporates. There seems to be a clear disconnect between the sides, largely due to the recalcitrant approach of the Central government and its refusal to reach out to the protestors with fairness and open mind. The fact that there is a mismatch between agriculture’s contribution to the GDP and the number of people dependent on it is enough to argue for urgent reforms in the sector. However, farmers should not be left to the mercy of corporate houses in the name of reforms and restructuring. The assumption that the market will protect and multiply farmers’ income could be misleading. In fact, the new farm laws can have a direct impact on food security of the poor. Clearly, the NDA government has failed to build wider consensus around reforms. Since agriculture is a State subject, it should have initiated widespread consultations and built a consensus around reforms.
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