No “logical resolution” is visible of talks with the government and the farmer unions
Analysis By: Balbir Singh Sooch-Sikh Vichar Manch
1. No “logical resolution” is visible: What could be the “logical resolution” “When the government expressly ignoring and delinking other farmer unions demands as useless except the ‘three farm laws’ only to talk with the prior condition that the three farm laws would not be cancelled at all, but could be amended?
2. “The Government of India again wants to reiterate its commitment that it is ready for logical resolution of all issues raised by the agitating farmer unions,” Vivek Aggarwal, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare said. Does the government mean the farmers have not raised issues for “logical resolution” so far?
3. In a memorandum to the Agriculture Secretary on October 14, 2020 union representatives had listed five demands:
(i) Writing to the Ministry a day earlier, farmer unions had said that apart from the three central Acts, “your ‘proposal’ on Minimum Support Prices had nothing clear or concrete which deserved a response from our side.
(ii) On Minimum Support Prices, you had proposed a ‘written assurance’ with regard to continuing the current procurement system. However, farmers’ organisations are demanding a legal guarantee that all agricultural commodities will be purchased only at MSP or above, that too at an MSP fixed with C2+50% formula as per the National Farmers’ Commission recommendation.
(iii) When the Government sends the draft of such a legislation (for legally guaranteed realisation of remunerative MSP for all agricultural commodities and for all farmers), we will give a detailed reply without any delay.”
(iv) Seeking a legal guarantee on MSP, the unions are now linking MSP to the “C2+50% formula”.
(v) In a memorandum to the Agriculture Secretary on October 14, 2020 union representatives had listed five demands, of which three were related to MSP, which included implementation of the Swaminathan Commission report “to fix MSP with C2+ 50% formulae”; and make MSP and state procurement of all crops a legal right of farmers.
(vi) The Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices projects three kinds of production cost — A2, A2+FL, and C2 — for every crop, both at state and all-India average levels.
(vii) A2 covers all paid-out costs directly incurred by the farmer — in cash and kind — on seeds, fertilisers, pesticides, hired labour, leased-in land, fuel, irrigation, etc.
(viii) A2+FL includes A2 plus an imputed value of unpaid family labour.
(ix) C2 is a more comprehensive cost that factors in rentals and interest forgone on owned land and fixed capital assets, on top of A2+FL”.
4. What could be the talk now when referring to the MSP-related demand of the unions, Aggarwal wrote, “The three laws related to agricultural reforms have no relation to the minimum support price-based procurement nor do these have any effect on the system of MSP-based procurement system already there before the enactment of these three laws?
5. “This was mentioned in every round of talks. It was also clarified that the government is ready to give a written assurance regarding the continuation of the present system of MSP-based procurement,” he said in the letter. the government said, “Referring to the MSP-related demand of the unions, Aggarwal wrote, “The three laws related to agricultural reforms have no relation to the minimum support price-based procurement nor do these have any effect on the system of MSP-based procurement system already there before the enactment of these three laws.”
6. “This was mentioned in every round of talks. It was also clarified that the government is ready to give a written assurance regarding the continuation of the present system of MSP-based procurement,” Vivek Aggarwal, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare said in the letter. https://indianexpress.com/
7. The Demands of Farmers Are Meant for Living of all Indians: How? By: Balbir Singh Sooch-Sikh Vichar Manch
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First Posted On: December 25, 2020, 08: 19 IST
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No “logical resolution” is visible of talks with the government and the farmer unions