Give your views on the farming protests
I have been contacted by my local MP https://members.parliament.uk/member/4617/contact who is looking for viewpoints on the farming protests in India so that he can write appropriately on behalf of his Indian constituents, to the UK foreign minister. Please give your views on this thread so that I can share them.
Pirate Bady Fri 25 Dec 2020 8:56PM
this looks like a good article with many references: https://www.indiaspend.com/why-farmers-are-worried-about-new-laws-its-the-history/
some key points from the same:
The new laws affect the farmers of Punjab and Haryana more because over 65% of wheat (2019) is procured from these states at MSP by the Food Corporation of India (FCI), the nodal government agency, along with other state agencies.
Their (protestors) primary demand is for a statutory minimum support price (MSP), and their main objection is to the opening up of agricultural sales and marketing beyond regulated APMC mandis (government-approved wholesale markets).
They believe the new laws will kill the mandis and allow exploitative private players to set the terms of purchase from farmers.
These changes will affect the small farmers the most because their low output does not allow them any bargaining power.
It is the farmers who bank on the APMC-MSP model who are most affected by the new laws. For them, the removal of barriers takes away all protections--of an assured price, of dealing with licensed agents, and of dispute settlement by the mandi. Mandis also provide important services such as storage and soil-testing facilities.
Pirate Praveen Sun 27 Dec 2020 5:33PM
https://meet.nixnet.services/b/pir-akd-3vx
We can use this link tomorrow at 10 am to talk to KV Biju.
Pirate Praveen Mon 28 Dec 2020 4:31AM
Attaching an article he has written on this topic
Pirate Praveen Mon 28 Dec 2020 5:10AM
Due to technical issues (his browser did not have support) we are postponing this session.
Pirate Praveen Sun 7 Feb 2021 8:24AM
Poll Created Sun 7 Feb 2021 8:34AM
Statement on #FarmersProtest Closed Wed 10 Feb 2021 8:00AM
Since we did not reach consensus moving the discussion to Associates sub group https://codema.in/d/eaWLZSjO/statement-on-farmersprotest
We like to echo the words of P Sainath [1] on #FarmersProtest
"Cutting off water and electricity to lakhs of human beings, exposing them to serious health hazards by doing so, having police and paramilitary barricade them into cut-off zones while imposing dangerously insanitary conditions on them, making it almost impossible for journalists to reach the protesting farmers, punishing a group that has already seen perhaps 200 of its own die, many from hypothermia, in the past two months. Anywhere in the world this would be seen as barbaric and an assault on human rights and dignity.
But we, our government and ruling elite are preoccupied with far more pressing concerns. Such as how to smash the conspiracy of dreaded global terrorists Rihanna and Greta Thunberg aimed at defaming and humiliating the greatest nation on earth.
As fiction, that would be insanely funny. As reality, it’s merely insane."
[1] Rich farmers, global plots, local stupidity https://ruralindiaonline.org/en/articles/rich-farmers-global-plots-local-stupidity/
Results
| Results | Option | % of points | Voters | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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Agree | 50.0% | 2 |
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| Abstain | 25.0% | 1 |
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| Disagree | 25.0% | 1 |
|
|
| Block | 0.0% | 0 | ||
| Undecided | 0% | 176 |
|
4 of 180 people have participated (2%)
Deleted User
Sun 7 Feb 2021 8:55AM
I am appalled by the amount of Propaganda based on hear say amplified in the statement above and really disappointed with this childish statement whuch is full of lies. We have seen such cheap tactics unfolding and failed during the CAA protest.
pirate king
Mon 8 Feb 2021 8:04AM
I still don't know/understand the context/reason behind protesting against the bill, other than no discussion was done in passing the bill. Abstaining.
Pirate Praveen · Fri 25 Dec 2020 4:50PM
Rashtriya Kisan Mahasangh (RKM) National Coordinator KV Biju has agreed to talk to us on 28th 10 am. This would be a good opportunity for us to understand this issue in depth.