Repeal of farm laws: Mixed feelings for farmers outside Punjab, Haryana

Farmers protesting at the Delhi border have hailed Friday's repeal of the three farm laws a "victory that will strengthen" their movement in the country. They have also resolved to continue their agitation for the other two demands for legally guaranteed minimum support price (MSP) and for withdrawal of the Electricity Amendment Act.

However, Prime Minister Narendra Modi's announcement of the decision evoked mixed reactions from farmers from outside Punjab and Haryana with farmers from some southern states expressing disappointment with the decision to repeal the laws.

Many farmer organisations have now shifted their focus to the demand for making MSP a legal right of the growers. "Farmers can realise the price of their produce only by getting a legal guarantee of the MSP," said Rampal Jat, national president of Kisan Mahapanchayat. "Today, bajra farmers of Rajasthan are selling bajra at ₹1,300-1,400 per quintal against the MSP of ₹1,550 per quintal. Our agitation will continue till we get this right."


Yogendra Yadav, founder of Jai Kisan Andolan, said, "The victory of the farmers against all odds is a testament to the strength of the people's struggle, against which the BJP government had to bow down."

ALL EYES ON MSP
MSP is a concern for most of the small and marginal farmers growing non-commercial crops.

"All that we would like to have is legally guaranteed MSP for crops that we can grow in our climate," said Ganesh Adatrao, son of a farmer who had committed suicide, from Marathwada region of Maharashtra. "This year, we are selling jowar at ₹1,200-1,500/quintal against the MSP of ₹2,600/quintal."

Adatrao welcomed the repeal of the three farm laws, saying it did not offer any major benefit for farmers from drought-prone regions like Marathwada. "We do not get any benefit of MSP, so we had no fear of losing it either," he added.

Ajay Belhekar, a small farmer growing vegetables in Junnar taluka of Pune district, said the small farmers do not get much benefit from agricultural reforms that were implemented in Maharashtra.

"The established, the rich, those with access to power and the corporates were the real beneficiaries even in the reformed systems," said Belhekar who is also director of Deccan Valley Farmer Producer Company, a company of 250 smallholder farmers. "I am happy that the three farm laws have been repealed. However, it does not mean we oppose reforms. We want such reforms which will take care of the loopholes and help small farmers," he said.

Some farmers' organisations that had been backing the agricultural reforms expressed disappointment at the government decision. "I am disappointed," said P Chengal Reddy, chief adviser of Consortium of Indian Farmers' Associations (CIFA), based in Hyderabad.

"Today, the political farmers have won, but the real farmers have lost," he said.