As farmers prepare for a renewed struggle to get the demand for a legal guarantee of the minimum support price (MSP) accepted by the Centre, Madhura Swaminathan, economist and daughter of legendary agriculture scientist MS Swaminathan, has asked the government to make it a “legally binding price.”
Madhura Swaminathan, Professor and Head of the Economic Analysis Unit, Indian Statistical Institute Bangalore Centre, said that the MSP should be made a statutory minimum price. “Many people argue that the entire production will have to be bought by the government, and there will be no market left. This is absurd,” she said, addressing the Durgabai Deshmukh Memorial Lecture in Delhi on July 15.
Read: Why legal guarantee for MSP will be difficult to implement
She also suggested that the government consider different incentives for small farmers as agriculture is not viable for them. “Though a small per cent of farmers are doing well, majority of the farmers of the country having less than 2 hectares of land or even less than 5 hectares in rainfed areas, is failing to generate for them (enough income),” she said and added that 50 per cent of population might continue to depend on agriculture even during next 20 years.
Pointing out that Indian agriculture is now at a critical juncture after 60 years of the Green Revolution, Swaminathan said that some people are arguing for removing subsidies because of market distortion. Some are also arguing against overproduction of rice and wheat, she added. On the other hand, she pointed out that environmentalists are arguing against modern agriculture, which includes using chemical fertilisers and genetic advancements. Those people also suggest going back to natural farming and traditional agricultural practices, she said.
Women’s contribution
India Social Development Report 2023 – “Women’s Contribution in Economy”, edited by Indira Hirway, was released on the occasion.
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Meanwhile, the Supreme Court will hear the Haryana government’s appeal on July 22. It has challenged the Punjab and Haryana High Court order that had directed the removal of barricades at the Shambhu border near Ambala, where farmers have been camping since February 13. The state government has moved the SC, saying no directions have been passed to these “illegally agitating groups” to vacate the highway, stop causing inconvenience, and stop creating law and order issues.
On the other hand, farmer leaders addressed the media in Chandigarh on Tuesday and announced that farmers will march towards Delhi whenever the national highway is opened.
Farmers’ protest
Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal said that they will continue their agitation till their demands are met. However, he also announced that they are open to talks with the Centre whenever they get an invite. Asserting that farmers have not blocked the highway, he said the direction to the state government proved who has actually blocked it.
Punjab and Haryana High Court had asked the Haryana government to open the barricades at the Shambhu border on an “experimental basis” and “regulate” traffic on the highway.
The SKM (Non-Political), along with Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM), also announced that a conference in support of their demands will be held in Delhi on July 22 and a national-level Kisan Mahapanchayat in Haryana on September 15.