Farmers from across India converge on the capital to demand fair prices, scrapping of land bill

New Delhi: A large section of farmers and agricultural labourers from various states across the country didn’t want to lose the opportunity of the ongoing monsoon session of the Parliament, to make their voices heard to the lawmakers of this nation.

Amid sloganeering —“Ladenge, Jeetenge… Jai Kisan, Jai Kisan” (We’ll fight, we’ll win… Hail farmers!) — at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi on Monday, hundreds of farmers and leaders of various farmers’ bodies made it clear that the present form of the Land Acquisition Bill was not acceptable to them.

Expressing their solidarity at the two-day sit-in dharna with a call for a united struggle against Neo-Liberal economic policies, the farmers announced that their fight to protect farm land and agriculture would continue until the Centre gave them assurances in letter and spirit.

Holding up a large plough as a ‘symbol of fight’, the farmers pledged to prevent the government from acquiring farm land for industries.

Extending support to the farmers’ struggle, CPI (M) general secretary and MP, Sitaram Yechury assured that besides strengthening the mass movement, his party would take up the fight in the Parliament.

Hannan Mollah, general secretary of the All India Kisan Sabha condemned the Narendra Modi government saying, “The Modi government not only tried in vain to bulldoze its way to get the Land Acquisition Ordinance passed by all means, it has also insulted the distressed farmers, who later committed suicide. But we’ve been successful in giving a befitting rebuff to the NDA government through a united struggle and putting the bill on hold.”

What did the farmers demand?

• Land Acquisition Ordinance in its present form won’t be accepted.
• Proper compensation to farmers, if land is acquired.
• Insurance against crop loss.
• Minimum wage guarantee for the farmers.
• Social security to landless farmers and agricultural labourers.
• Right price for the produce.

The farmers, under the banner of Swaraj Abhiyan — the breakaway group of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) — marched from Punjab to Delhi, carrying soil from their respective fields in earthen pots, as a symbol of the farmers’ struggle.

Addressing the gathering of farmers, Swaraj Abhiyan leader Yogendra Yadav said, “The Green Revolution that was once the pride of India, has now become a nightmare for the farmers. Punjab is an example. The Modi government’s approach towards agriculture will make farmers landless, and destroy agriculture and our villages. Farmers are migrating to cities as labourers. This will reduce a farmer’s son to a daily-wager.”

“Can India become an economic power, where its farmers are not prosperous?” asked AAP MLA from Timarpur in Delhi, Pankaj Pushkar.

“Our primary concern is not to gain political mileage out of this movement, but to make this farmers’ struggle into an existential war, in a more aggressive manner. We’ll continue our fight against the injustice meted out to farmers. The PM talks about development and the welfare of farmers, but what about the Race Course ground? It was Malcha village, which the British had acquired from the farmers under the pretext of development, without giving them any compensation. Now, it’s a gambling den. The government should return it to the farmers and as an MLA from Delhi, I would fight for it,” Pushkar told Firstpost.

Farmers, widows and families of farmers, who had committed suicide, from Maharashtra, Karnataka, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal, Bihar and Odisha, had converged at the dharna site. They pledged, “No to suicides; Onwards to united struggles”.

Professor Bhavna Wasnik from Amravati said, “The widows of farmers who committed suicide, have come here all the way from Vidarbha and other places to express solidarity for the cause, and fight for farmers’ rights.”

“My husband, who owned two acres of land, committed suicide in 2012 under the pressure of heavy debt. We want the government to provide us the right price for our produce, which at present is less than the input cost. The condition of marginal farmers continues to be pathetic,” Baby, a widow from Malegaon told Firstpost.

Aarti Bais of Mahila Kisan Sangathan said, “We have three main demands: The farmers should get an assured annual income as per the Sixth Pay Commission, the present Land Acquisition Bill should be scrapped, and farmers should receive the right price for their produce — which is three times the input cost. Otherwise, farmer suicides are inevitable. ”

Besides the farmers, the demonstration heard the voices of landless labourers, MNREGA workers, Adivasis and tribals, who have been displaced from their land due to development projects.

“This is a first-of-its-kind movement by various sections — from farmers to Adivasis — that the national capital is witnessing. Through our Jai Kisan Abhiyan, we’ll continue our fight against the government’s anti-farmer policy. This is only the beginning, and we will take it to every nook and corner of this country,” added Radhakrishnan TA Aiyyer, a leader of the Jai Kisan Abhiyan.