Agriculture:
‘Kisan Ki Loot’ campaign launched
10 November 2017, THE HINDU
AIKSCC announces mass gathering of farmers in the Capital on November 20
Farmers’ losses exceeded ₹2 lakh crore this current crop season,
claimed the All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee (AIKSCC) at
a press conference held here on Thursday.
The committee, which
launched the ‘Kisan Ki Loot’ campaign, also announced a ‘first of its
kind’ mass gathering of farmers from across the country in the Capital
on November 20 to press the government for acceptance of its demands.
“Full
remunerative prices as legal entitlement with correct cost estimations
and at least a 50% profit margin over the cost of production for all
farmers and commodities is our main demand, in addition to a demand for
freedom from debt,” said AIKSCC leaders
A coalition of over 180
farmers’ organisations, the AIKSCC is a pan-India forum of farmers and
farm workers which aims to create a dignified and sustainable livelihood
for farmers.
‘Promises broken’
The organisers
accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of having failed farmers and
breaking his promise of ensuring that Minimum Support Price (MSP) are
50% higher than the cost of production (CoP).
“The government
sets the figures for CoP and MSP. There is a discrepancy between those
figures and the actual investment of money, labour and time. On top of
that, the government does not meet its own MSP figures,” AIKSCC convener
V. M. Singh alleged.
The committee also presented data on losses
that farmers across the country have suffered. It questioned the
credibility of a government which “promised that farmers’ incomes would
be doubled when in reality they are facing huge losses”.
“Farmers
have already lost ₹ 6,283 crore for seven crops in the kharif season
because they did not get the MSP. The estimated loss then is around
₹35,968 crore for the entire season,” said Kiran Kumar Vissa of Rythu
Swarajya Vedika.
The committee further added that farmer suicides
are a direct consequence of the frustration due to the huge gap in the
investment amount and the prices received in the market.
“The
government has imposed 10%-12% duty on wheat. Imports take place before
crops are ready. Nearly 3.5 lakh farmers did not commit suicides for
nothing,” said activist Medha Patkar.
The AIKSCC also launched a
‘Kisan Loot Selfie’ campaign inviting farmers from across the country to
click selfies revealing the magnitude of their loss and share these
pictures over the next two weeks.
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The
AIKSCC, a nationwide coalition of more than 180 farmer organisations,
works to create a dignified and sustainable livelihood for farmers and
agricultural workers.
Amid the uproar of workers and trade unionists for their rights at
the Mahapdaav in Delhi, the All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination
Committee (AIKSCC) on November 9 launched its ‘Kisan Ki Loot’ campaign
to highlight how farmers are being denied their rights.
The AIKSCC, a nationwide coalition of more than 180 farmer
organisations, works to create a dignified and sustainable livelihood
for farmers and agricultural workers.
The AIKSCC members held a press conference in Delhi, where
theydisplayed a series of photographs portraying the penury of farmers
from states such as Haryana, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and Telangana.
“Bhagat Singh, a farmer from Haryana, was forced to sell his 19
quintals of Bajra crop for Rs 1,135 per quintal where the MSP exists as
Rs1,425 in papers,”said an AIKSCC press statement, which elaborated on
how the government has been looting the farmers.
The AIKSCC conducted a study, based on crop prices across the country
this season,which underlined how farmers are suffering massive losses
as they are compelled to sell their crops at prices below government’s
proposed Minimum Support Price (MSP).
“Considering the top 7 crops (paddy, maize, soybean, cotton, bajra,
groundnut and urad), the arrivals in mandis so far and the actual market
prices, farmers have lost Rs6,283 crores compared to the MSP.
Considering the total crop that would be sold by farmers this season
(Marketable Surplus), the estimated loss of farmers compared to MSP is
Rs35,968 crores,” the study notes.
PM Modi came to power by promising farmers that the MSP would be
fixed at 50% above the cost of production, but he has betrayed the
farmers, said the AIKSCC.
“Among the 14 crops of Kharif 2017-18, the MSPs for 7 crops have been
fixed at less than the cost of production. In the other 7 crops, the
margin above the cost of production is merely 2% to 19%. Considering the
cost of production+50% as the fair remunerative price promised by the
government, the loss faced by farmers is more than Rs2.03 lakh crores,”
the AIKSCC stated.
“Our campaign clearly captures the fact that farmers across the
country, whatever they might be producing, don’t get the MSP that is
promised. Importantly, the MSP announced does not leave any profit
margin for the farmers, so how can the needs of the farmers’ families be
met? It is not surprising that farmers are drowning in debt and
committing suicide. The Central government should take responsibility
for this state of the farmers due to their failed promises.”
The campaign was preceded by the KisanMuktiYatra, which had travelled
around the country covering 10,000km through 18 states. Reaching out to
50 lakh farmers, the yatra addressed the issues of farmers including
low prices, debt bound farming, lack of support from the government, and
failure of government promises.
The AIKSCC leaders – includingHannanMollah of All India Kisan Sabha,
DrSunilam of KisanSangharshSamiti, Yogendra Yadav of Swaraj Abhiyan,
MedhaPatkar of National Alliance of People’s Movements, and Raju Shetty
of SwabhimaniShetkariSangathan– urged the farmers to turn out in large
numbers for the ‘KisanMuktiSansad’, a farmers’ freedom parliament.
The Kisan Mukti Sansad, scheduled to be held on November 20, will put
forward the draft of the bill encompassing the demands. It will be
debated and passed by the farmers’ parliament. The AIKSCC will invite
leaders of political parties and the Prime Minister to come to the
Sansad,but only if they are ready to support the Bill and the demands,
said the statement.
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