Reforms connected with the land

     The latest one is neither the last nor the first movement connected with the land in India as a primarily agricultural society. The uprising of peasant movement against new farm laws in states of Punjab and other may be categorized as ‘The Rich Farmer Movement’ as per the prominent political scientist Sudha Pai’s categorization based on the fivefold criteria—the pattern of land ownership, state policies, technology-based change, the pattern of mobilization, and the leadership.

The rich farmer movement at a glance

     Its origin can be traced in the 1960s Green Revolution that resulted in the commercialization of agriculture and class differentiation. Those years have been a witness of how the rich farmer organizations acted as pressure groups upon the state and demanded policies beneficial to them.

     Then, Congress in rule decided to follow a different path to industrialization: make agriculture production through investment in technology and this initiative divided the agricultural regime as rural vs. urban and west vs. east because the benefits of the Green Revolution were not evenly distributed.

       The same has also happened in the early 90s when the structural adjustment program (SAP) leading to the globalization of Indian economy and the farmer movements entered in new phase market-oriented policies rather attract marginal/small farmers to mobilize against the state, but the rich farmer movements have been frequent for many years when these farmers think that governmental policies may go against their interests.

       Economic liberalization did not allow new agricultural policy, but it was BJP-led NDA coalition government which announced National agricultural Policy in 2000. Its main objective was to make agriculture an industry. Then, Congress-led UPA came to power in 2004. The farmer movements rose and slept timely on the issue of farmers’ suicides. In 2014, Modi claimed Delhi as BJP secured a full majority in the lower house, and the central government aiming at doubling farmers’ income till 2022. Following his goals, the government made many initiatives and the prominent last one is—New Farm Laws. 

Peasant movement and New Farm Laws       

     Three bills have been passed in the parliament and got the president’s assent in September that dealt the ever-growing question of agricultural reform, but attracted the protest by the section of rich farmers from the state of Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh.

     The government got the motivation for these bills from the standing committee on agriculture (2018-19) and a high-powered seven chief ministerial group set up in 2019 that have recommended for the changes in the related acts and nodded for new acts.

     These new three acts contain different provisions that can be summarized in allowing intra-state and inter-state trade of farmers’ produce beyond APMC markets without State governments’ levy and cess, contract farming and regulating the supply of certain food items by the central government. 

      These provisions will certainly harass the interests of middle man, politics involved in APMC markets and levy on agriculture collected by the states.

       The latest farmer movement’s demand like saving MSP and others may be an excuse for restoring the said one. That is why All India Kisan Coordination Committee (AIKCC) from Tamil Nadu and Shetkari Sangahatana like organisations support the government’s move in these words—we have been agitating for the last 30 years for an open market and liberal system—we have got it. 

In Conclusion

         As soon as possible, the government should go ahead with these charming provisions and provide a short help for marginal and small farmers that have been excluded from the market since the period of the green revolution and then economic liberalisation of the 90s.