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Have been talking to farmer representatives in TN over last few days on #FarmBill2020 . Thread...
1. Allowing farmers a choice as to where to sell was long overdue.
2. In TN such a system called Parallel procurement was introduced in 1991-92 when G.Viswanathan was Food Minister
1. Allowing farmers a choice as to where to sell was long overdue.
2. In TN such a system called Parallel procurement was introduced in 1991-92 when G.Viswanathan was Food Minister
and A.N.Swaminathan was the Secretary. This was welcomed by Central Govt and then PM P V.Narasimha Rao apparently invited them to Delhi to provide inputs for a parallel Procurement program for all of India.
3. Lobbies/Vested interests then got to work .Viswanathan lost his job
3. Lobbies/Vested interests then got to work .Viswanathan lost his job
and PVN was persuaded to not proceed. However a parallel procurement system in some form ran in TN until 2000.
4. Farmer reps say that the majority of farmers in TN support the Bills. S.Ranganathan, Secy of Cauvery Delta Farmers Assn.told me,farmers want the freedom to sell
4. Farmer reps say that the majority of farmers in TN support the Bills. S.Ranganathan, Secy of Cauvery Delta Farmers Assn.told me,farmers want the freedom to sell
to whom they wish to. He said they were sure that State Govt will not disturb the existing system of procurement thru DPC's with MSP. So the new laws wd be only opening another opportunity for them to get a better price. He also said farmers did not see reason to protest
mainly bcos their faith in the State Govt irrespective of party in power was high. They are confident they won't be thrown to the wolves as protestors say. Farmers also wanted to cut their costs on transport and the labour charges they pay at DPC's. Another farmer rep told me
corporates would help with increasing their productivity and so they cd get a greater yield. All in all it seems that several farmers in TN are not in a mood to join the protests. As Ranganathan put it, no farmer who has read the bill will protest. But he added, in TN there are
farmers who haven't read it and can be easily persuaded by middlemen who's future could be badly affected and by political parties. Having read the bills my view is that they are in principle sound and needed. However the Modi Govt.'s inability to implement large programs
successfully and the track record of cronyism is the reason for worry. Also they should hv consulted the Opposition parties before pushing it through. And the manner of its "passing" in Parliament was reprehensible. But the Bills themselves, they seem to be ok. #FarmBill2020
