New Agriculture law has turned into political issue. A lot of misinformation is being spread by rumour mongers at the instance of those who do not want the farm laws to be brought in the agriculture sector. It is strange that these forces want the agriculture to remain primitive even in the 21st century but no government worth its name can allow itself to be capitulated or held hostage by a few thousand people, who have been assembled by the brokers, intermediaries and absentee landlords sitting in Canada or other countries. But the government will be failing in its duty, if these squatters continue to lay siege of the Capital city of Delhi for much longer.
Hopefully, the Modi Government will not allow such motivated people to create obstacles and obstructions in the freedom of the movement and inconvenience of the public.
Further, if the Government fails to sternly handle and clear of the illegal dharna, then the pattern of Shaheen Bagh can be repeated anywhere in the country. As a matter of fact, more than 98% of farmers have nothing to do with the motivated and orchestrated agitation organised by the intermediaries and brokers, who have been making money in the name of farmers.
The government has already said that the Minimum Support Price and Mandis will remain untouched. This itself is unwarranted assurance because it is not going, in any way, to help the small and medium farmers. This tamasha of protest is being played by the moneybags in the name of benefiting the farmers. It is out and out a deception. If anyone is going to be profited by the retention of Mandi Samitis and MSPs, it will be only the big player who has nothing to do with real farmers.
Look at the temerity and the audacity of these deceivers that they are openly challenging the government elected by most of the people by saying that they will not budge from the place of their agitation until all three laws are not repealed.
What is most ridiculous is when they say that democracy is being butchered by the government by not repealing the laws, which have been duly passed by parliament after prolong deliberations by the experts and the Parliamentary Standing Committee. These new laws are immensely beneficial for the small farmers, who cannot make use of modern technology, arrange fertilisers and good seeds because of the small landholdings and paucity of resources. A small farmer having an acre or less land would never be able to have the benefits of modern technology. These new Farm laws will reduce the burden from agriculture as the small farmers would have the freedom to shift to other professions.
There is hardly any doubt that most of the small farmers are not in the position to produce enough food-grains, which can help them in maintaining the social mores and needs of their families. As a result of it, some or other member of the family has to go to cities to earn their livelihood and also to supplement the income of the family.
In an absence of resources, these families do not find themselves in a position to educate their children and in case of any exigencies they have no choice but to take loans at the high rates and on humiliating conditions.
The condition of a farmer having 5 to 6 acres of land is worse than the condition of a class IV employee, who can maintain his/her family and maintain social status in a better way than the small farmers. The subsidy given to the small farmers is mostly cornered by the rich and big farmers who do not pay either for the electricity or for many other things. This has been the reason that there has been a huge burden on agriculture and the condition of most of the agriculturists has been economically worse.
Virendra Singh
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