Farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher implied on 17th February, Saturday, that the Modi government should circumvent Parliament and bring an ordinance granting a legal guarantee to Minimum Support Price (MSP). which is a fundamental demand of Punjab farmers now camped at the Shambhu and Khanauri points of the Punjab-Haryana border. The demand was made one day before the fourth session of negotiations about the numerous proposals made by farm leaders and union ministries.
He asserted that the Centre possesses the authority to determine “political” decisions and declared, “If it (Centre) brings an ordinance, it can bring it overnight if it wants so. If the government wants resolution of farmers’ protest, then it should bring out an ordinance with an immediate effect that it will enact a law on MSP, then discussion can proceed further,” while talking to journalists at the Shambhu border.
He claimed that every ordinance has a six-month validity when it comes to modalities. Regarding the desire for “C2 plus 50%,” as per the recommendation of the Swaminathan Commission, he pointed out that the government was providing a price based on the “A2 plus FL” formula. “Under the same formula, an ordinance can be brought,” he mentioned. Notably, A2 is paid out cost, and FL is the imputed value of family labour.
He told reporters that the government is stating that the loan amount needs to be evaluated concerning the waiver of farm debt. He alleged that the government may obtain bank data in this way and argued, “It is a question of political will power. They (the Centre) are saying it has to be discussed with the states. You leave aside the states. You talk about the Centre and central banks and then finalise how to waive farmers’ debt.” He stressed that the other demands made by farmers are equally significant.
Another leader of the farmers Jagjit Singh Dallewal who is leading the “Delhi Chalo” agitation along with Sarwan Singh Pandher remarked that an ordinance for “giving something to people of the country” should be brought by the government. Jagjit Singh Dallewal highlighted, “The government should bring the ordinance with such an intention that it is implemented with immediate effect and within six months, it can be converted into a law and there is no problem in that.”
In response to statements implying that providing the minimum support price for each of the 23 crops will cost a significant amount of money, he contended that a study found that Rs 2.50 lakh crore was required. According to another analysis, he commented that only Rs 36,000 crore will be needed. He claimed, “If the government seriously looks at producers and consumers and gives less attention to corporates, then the matter can be sorted out.”
In addition, Jagjit Singh Dallewal outlined the need to support small, agro-based businesses in rural areas. According to him, the agriculture industry employs 50% of the workforce. “The agriculture sector has a 20 per cent share in the GDP and if the agriculture sector has 20 per cent share in the GDP, then why is it difficult for the government to give Rs 2.50 lakh crore,” he questioned. “We are demanding a law on the purchase of crops at an MSP. Anybody buys a crop in any state but does not buy it at less than the MSP, it is our demand,” he voiced.
According to Sarwan Singh Pandher, the government purchases products such as beans from other nations. “If the government guarantees an MSP on crops like pulses, farmers can produce them here.” He accused that the market currently has a lower rate of commodities that the government purchases at an MSP and a higher rate of other products that it does not purchase at the guaranteed price.
The fourth session of negotiations between farmer leaders and Union ministers Arjun Munda, Piyush Goyal and Nityanand Rai is scheduled for 18th February. The two sides had earlier meetings on 8th, 12th and 15th February but the discussions ended without a resolution. The farmers remained at the two border crossings of Punjab and Haryana on the fifth day of their “Delhi Chalo” march which was organised by the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha. They are pressing the Center to grant their demands, which include a legally mandated MSP for crops.
The farmers are also demanding the implementation of the recommendations made by the Swaminathan Commission, pensions for farmers and farm labourers, waivers of farm debt, no increase in electricity tariffs, the resumption of the Land Acquisition Act of 2013, the withdrawal of police cases and “justice” for the victims of the violence in Lakhimpur Kheri in 2021 and compensation for the families of farmers who lost their lives during the farmers protest in 2020–21.
