NO FARMERS, NO FOOD

India is a secular and diversified nation, guess that is the reason why every movement is categorized on the basis of community rather than considering it a national cause. 

Yes, I am focusing on the Indian Farmer Protest while is now mainly called "sardaro ka protest" and is treated like farming is just limited till Punjab. Anything that happens around this country is categorized on the basis of religion and community rather than considering it a national cause. 

India is an agriculture based country and since ages farming land is treated like mother. 

In India, over 50% of the workforce is dependent on agriculture with at least 70% of the rural households primarily dependent on the agriculture sector for their livelihood.

If you are an Indian and have gone out during the months of October and November I can't believe that your eyes didn't get a glimpse of trolleys loaded with paddy. This was because the mandis were not taking in the produce. Just imagine spending enormous amounts on the cultivation of crop and then watching it rot in a trolley or your godown. Oh wait almost forgot about the ever rising petrol and diesel rates, tractors, motors, combines don't run on water oh shit just slipped my mind how much freedom the farmers have in terms of water availability. Oh my memory lane took me to water cannons.  

I see a number of people not supporting farmers in this demand of getting their rights. We can't stick onto an opinion until we know the detail about the bills an being real honest we don't get to choose when people can and cannot fight for their basic human rights. 

FARM LAWS 2020

 1- Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020

• expands the scope of trade areas of farmers' produce from select areas to "any place of production, collection, aggregation".
• allows electronic trading and e-commerce of scheduled farmers' produce.
• prohibits state governments from levying any market fee or levy on farmers, traders, and electronic trading platforms for trade of farmers' produce conducted in an 'outside trade area'.        
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•    2- Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020

• provides a legal framework for farmers to enter into pre-arranged contracts with buyers including mention of pricing.
• defines a dispute resolution mechanism.

3- Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020

• removes foodstuff such as cereals, pulses, potato, onions, edible oilseeds and oils, from the list of essential commodities, removing stockholding limits on such items except under "extraordinary circumstances"
• requires that imposition of any stock limit on agricultural produce be based on price rise.

The bills seem so attracting then why are farmers protesting on Indian streets in this dropping low temperature. All that sounds good doesn't necessary fit perfect always. 

* Farmers feels the bills are not only ANTI FARMER in nature but also incentivizing to big corporation.

* Farmers feel that the bills are a way for the government to abdicate their responsibility and accountability to provide farmers with a Minimum Support Price. 

* Cereals, Pulses, onion, potato, edible oils have been removed from essential commodities list which means the corporates are now free to monopolize and control these commodities. Oh wait isn't it what an average Indian eats daily. Potato will no more be a poor's food. 

* The Bills have lacunae: lack of regulation, regulatory oversight and reporting. They’re somewhat non-transparent. 

You can’t have marketing Bills that are devoid of the larger context of State intervention in agriculture, and agricultural policy.

* Total deregulation of food grains may lead to inflationary food price spikes and big corporates may play the game.

* There is a symbiotic relationship between middlemen/commission agents and farmers and there is huge resistance from middlemen. The middlemen are a part of the larger ecosystem of agricultural trade, with deep links between farmers and traders.

* Supply and demand scheme will come into play once these industrialists take over food produce. The prices will be set according to it. Won't this lead a poor peasant to a debt trap? 

* What our ancestors passed on , the traditional grain market will simply abolish with time. The legacy will fade away. 

We can't just say enforce certain laws on someone just because we think they are appropriate for them. You pass the bills and then respond violently to a peaceful protest. You call them uneducated and illiterate just because they are they are demanding their rights back, because they are done struggling to feed their family in scanty income. The life of peasants was not a bed of roses even before this and now they are on the verge of going down.

The way Godi media has been projecting the entire protest is so different than what it actually is . Listening to stupid claims that a farmer can't be educated or can't speak English actually boils my blood. My father is a farmer who also happens to be an engineer. Farmers send their kids to the same school where your kids study, they aren't alien species, the way we have categorizations according to financial status so do farmers. People are so against NRIs who are supporting Indian farmers, hey we remember our roots, leaving the country doesn't mean abandoning home and family. 

I belong to a farmer family and most of my family members have been there , even my 15 year old brother and what he told me was " Kiki vibes alag hai yaar" , he was so impressed by the calm , sanity and peace around there. The unity depicted by farmers irrespective of the place of belonging, culture, caste was extraordinary. Whole day langar even in this freezing cold weather and emotional turmoil is what makes me say that no doubt we have got a big heart.  Farmers from all over the globe have been protesting against the same. Social media is so full of farmer support. Even non farmers are supporting this because they know one can't survive without food. You can't download food. 

The least we can do for our fellow citizens and for our future generation is trust their cause and support them in this fight. 

#kisanektazindabad