farmers

I don’t remember where exactly I read the story of the APMC Mandis falling apart in certain regions not immediately involved in the farmers’ stir.I hope fervently it is one of the shoals of fake stories swirling around in the ocean of Internet.But if true I think it should ring alarm bells in the leading circles of the mammoth farmers’ movement that is now well into its eighth month.What is happening there is perhaps pressure on wholesalers, brokers and transport providers from the usual suspects to cease and desist.Or how else could they be in rough weather?

If you do not make a timely study and appraisal of your enemy’s strategy you cannot hope to win the war.You may even face defeat.

Farmer leaders seem to think it is a case of massive face-off,two mighty armies digging their heels in and facing each other in a trial of stamina.If I am proved wrong I am prepared to box my own ears as penalty.But it seems to me that is a wrong idea of the enemy’s plans.

A careful study of the enemy’s mindset as revealed in its actions is that it rarely retreats from the position it holds.Rather like Hitler in the last phase of his war as he overruled professional soldiers’ advice to withdraw from a desperate situation. Secondly it does not idle the time away expecting the enemy to make its moves.But makes sly,quiet tactical moves to weaken its enemy’s supply lines and reserves.The deliberate evisceration of some Mandis may be one such move.

Farmers believe since their movement has solid support of farmers and workers in the states other than those directly involved,they need not trouble about the enemy’s operations in that shadowland.But while the support is certainly there,they forget it is not as organised, watchful and militant as they are.Hence the farmers in those states have come under a flurry of policy measures that take them by surprise and upset their chances of coming to the aid of their brothers at war.

The signs of such marauding raids are not evident at once and these need careful scrutiny.But they are very much there.I am reporting some of them from Assam,but I believe other BJP ruled states will show similar evidence.Some time back headlines here screamed that under a new directive from the centre many farmers here who had received Rs.6000 in three instalments under eponymous Kisan funds will have to return the amount as they do not hold secure land Pattas.The total amount is Rs.860 and odd crores.Now,while this seems to be a typical bureaucratic rigmarole,it may well hide a more purposeful and ruthless design.The intention behind that sudden offer of bounty might not have been an uncharacteristic philanthropy, nor even a vote-wangling bait.On retrospect It may well have been a cold, calculating stratagem to find out the amount of land to be ultimately given away to corporates.For dispossessing farmers of their land is one of the priority aims of the disputed laws.

According to a headline in the Asomiya Pratidin(July 25),the farmers here are agitated over a reported D.O letter from the Centre’s Deptt.of Food,PDS and Consumer Affairs(DO No.1(4)2018 PYL) the state government has been asked not to buy foodgrains from farmers any more.This is evidently aimed at abolishing the MSP regime.Even the state government had apparently no prior inkling of it as the state budget already passed had envisaged purchasing 1 million tons of farm produce at MSP.

It is these nibbling attacks that apparently aim at weakening support for the farmers’ stir in states away from the war-zone.I have a notion that apart from keeping up activities at the front farmers’ leaders have got to find solutions in time to such problems behind the lines that might snowball into a big headache.

Hiren Gohain is a social scientist and literary critic


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One Comment

  1. samir sardana says:

    India is facing a farmers insurrection !

    AN EXAMPLE OF THE NUMERICAL DOOM OF INDIA – via FARMING !

    The Impending Demagogue in the Indian Agri sector – which will then lead to the RISING OF THE DALITS AND MJSLIMS !

    CHAIWALA HAD DECIDED TO DESTROY AGRI ,AS INDUSTRY NEEDS WATER AND LAND AND CHEAP LABOUR ! ALSO,THE GOI CANNOT PAY ANY MORE FARM SUBSIDIES – AS AI AND NEW TECH, HAS MADE INDIAN AGRI OBSOLETE

    Some facts about Indian Agri – which the Indians do NOT get !

    GOI is bankrupt !
    The GOI will NOT pay MSP for any crop
    The GOI CANNOT pay MSP for any crop
    The GOI staffing will be CUT by 50% in the next 5 years
    Even Internal Security like CRPF ….. will be CUT (Like with the Blackwater Model and AI/Drones and Technology)
    AI and Nano will make farmers OBSOLETE,as 5 nations in Africa will be able to feed the world
    All Farm Subsidies will BE CUT – by MAKING FARMING UNVIABLE
    Farm subsidies (Fertiliser,Insecticides,Seeds,MSP,Mandi Infrastructure,Capital Goods,Fuel Subsidy,Power Subsidy, Pollution, Declinng Water table,
    Urea Poisoning and impact on health etc.) will be MORE THAN USD 300 BILLION,WHICH IN 2 YEARS WILL WIPE OUT ALL THE BANK NPAs.THAT SOLVES THE INDIAN BANKING CRISIS !
    GOI and Bania need land – so by MAKING FARMING UNVIABLE – large land tracts will be freed and land rates will fall
    GOI and Bania need WATER – (as China and Pakistan will take over KASHMIR,AND SO INDIA WILL HAVE NO WATER IN THE WEST,AND CHINA WILL BLOCK THE BRAHMAPUTRA IN THE EAST), so killing farming releases water for Industry.
    Industry and IT and services and the Middle class trash need gazillion litres of water – which will COME BY KILLING AGRICULTURE !
    Then the GOI will use the Israelis to destroy Indian Farming by a Man made virus,to kill the crops and also to kill off the farmers (so the virus will be customised to the weedicides …etc used by the farmers)

    GOI feels FARMERS ARE A DEAD WEIGHT AND A BURDEN ! dindooohindoo

    Basically all FARMERS IN THE WORLD WILL BE OBSOLETE – But they will be aborbed – BUT IN INDIA,800 MILLION PEOPLE,CANNOT BE ABSORBED.Either you kill them – and so,you need a VIRUS,or you give them DOLES – which will come OUT OF THE BILLIONS OF USD,SAVED ON SUBSIDIES !

    So,if Rice is sold by FARMERS at 10/kg,and the user pays Rs 100/kg,THERE IS ONLY 1 OPTION !

    ELIMINATE THE BANIA,MARWARI,GUJARATI,JAIN.KAYASTHA FILTH in the retail chain ! They are the shopkeepers and the marketing supply chain.THERE IS NO OTHER WAY WHICH WILL BE THE SOP OF THE DEMAGOGUES).

    If u raise the MSP for farmers ,the agri processing and retail and entertainment sector,will die – and they PAY LARGE INDIRECT AND DIRECT TAXES,TO THE GOI !So you bring in WALMART,AND PIT THE FARMERS AGAINST THE BANIA SHOPKEEPERS AND TAX WALMART !

    What the Indian DUD Farmers DO NOT get,is that CORPORATE INDIA MAKES A PROFIT,DUE TO THE MISERY OF THE FARMERS.SINCE GOVTT AND BANIAS ARE CORRUPT – SO THE TAX REGIME IN INDIA IS HIGH ! TAXES FOR GOI,COME FROM GST AND PROFIT,WHICH IS “ONLY FROM” THE ORGANISED INDUSTRY ! ORGANISED INDUSTRY MAKES PROFIT,BY KEEPING RAW MATERIAL AND LABOUR COSTS,AS LOW AS POSSIBLE.

    SO AGRI FARM GATE RATES HAVE TO BE,AS LOW AS POSSIBLE – SO THAT INDUSTRY INPUT COSTS ARE AS LOW AS POSSIBLE ! THIS ALSO LOWERS FOOD PRICES AND FOOD INFLATION – AND REDUCES LABOUR COSTS. BY ENSURING THAT FARM PRICES ARE LOW AND FARMING IS UNVIABLE – THE SUPPLY IN THE LABOUR MARKET RISES – AND LABOUR RATES ARE LOW ! SO THE CORPORATE PROFITS = SWEAT,TEARS AND BLOOD OF FARMERS !

    AGRI IS TAX EXEMPT FOR FARMERS – SO BY LOWERING FARM PRICES – THE PROFIT IN THE FORM OF LOWER COSTS,TO INDUSTRY IS TAXED BY THE GOI,IN THE HANDS OF INDUSTRY.THAT IS WHY THE GOI HAS RUINED INDIAN AGRI – AS A MATTER OF STRATEGY !

    1 LAST POINT – WHERE GOES THE TAX ? BANK CAPITALISATION … NEW PSUs ….. LARGE INFRA – which is a proxy for the BANIA (MARWARI AND GUJARATI) to loot vide NPAs and cost/time overruns,project over invoicing …………….

    It is all TRANSFER PRICING SYSTEM !

    NOW,SUPPOSE A DEMAGOGUE COMES IN – AND EDUCATES THE INIAN FARMERS – ABOUT ALL THE ABOVE,THEN WHAT WILL BE THE OUTCOME ? AND SO,COMES IN KHALISTAN !

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