JOIN USNDA most anti-farmer govt in Indian history, says Yadav
Swaraj India Party president Yogendra Yadav has said that the present NDA government, led by the BJP, is the most anti-farmer government in the history of independent India.
Addressing reporters here on Friday after the Kisan Mukti Yatra of the All India Kisan Sangarsh Coordination Committee (AIKSCC) entered Mysuru, he said that the indifference of the governments over the past 60 to 70 years is responsible for the pathetic condition of farmers in India but the present government is the most farmer-unfriendly government India has ever seen.
He said that the yatra, which was launched on July 6 at Mandsaur in Madhya Pradesh, entered South India on September 16 and is expected to culminate at New Delhi on November 20. “Over 10 lakh farmers from across the nation are expected to participate in the rally from Ramlila Maidan to the Parliament to press for two demands. The rally is seeking implementation of the recommendations of the Farmers’ Commission headed by M S Swaminathan which had in 2007, recommended remunerative prices (cost of cultivation plus 50%) for farm crops and waiver of all accumulated farm loans,” he said.
‘Triple crisis’
Yadav said that the Indian farmers are facing a triple crisis — economical, ecological and existential. “The struggle now is going to be two-pronged — unite and fight. The November 20 procession would be the largest uprising after the 1980s movements. While the liberalisation policy of the government was the first blow to the farming community, the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), which is expected to be signed in a couple of months, is going to sound the death knell for farmers,” he said.
Farmers want ‘Runnmukthi’
“The total loans availed by farmers across the nation from various financial institutions is Rs 14.36 lakh crore. The bad debt of industrialists and traders, under six different heads, is Rs 12 lakh crore. The government is splitting all the bad debt of the corporates under six heads to show smaller amounts. It is also keen on waiving it off. But, it is not thinking of the farmers. As the Farmers’ Commission’s recommendations were not implemented in 2007, the total loss incurred by the farmers over one decade is estimated to be Rs 20 lakh crore. So, the farmers are not asking for ‘Runnmaafi’ (waiver), but ‘Runnmukthi’ (freedom),” he said.
Describing the call of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to farmers to double their incomes, Yadav said it is the biggest joke on farmers.
“First the PM talked about devising a policy to increase the income of farmers. Later, the Centre asked the states to formulate some policy in this connection. Now, the farmers themselves have been asked to do something to double their incomes. It is only a ploy by the Centre to double the debts of farmers to finish them off once for all,” he said.
NITI Aayog
Reacting to the proposal of the NITI Aayog to tax wealthy farmers, he said let the government first identify such wealthy farmers who come above the prescribed limit of Rs 50 lakh per annum whose income is entirely from farming. Let the government tax them and also honour them on Republic Day,” he said.
Convenor of AIKSCC V M Singh, MP of Swabhimani Paksha Raju Shetty, activists Kavitha Kurugunte, Viju Krishnan, Byyareddy, Badagalapura Nagendra, Chukki Nanjundaswamy and Vasu were present.