In farm agitation heartland Haryana, what farmers think of BJP, Congress’s poll promises

The decease of 21-year-old husbandman Shubhkaran Singh and injuries to respective others successful February this twelvemonth erstwhile farmers camped astatine the Punjab and Haryana borders to Delhi aft the constabulary prevented their question to Delhi caused overmuch resentment among farmers. The authorities of Manohar Lal Khattar, who was successful powerfulness then, received vigor for utilizing teardrop state and drones connected the protesting farmers.

Given the cardinal relation farmers have, some the BJP and the Congress person promised them MSP. The BJP led by Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini has said MSP volition beryllium granted to 10 further crops — 14 are connected the database present — if the enactment returns to power. The Congress has promised a ineligible warrant for MSP.

Farmers successful Charuni Jattan and different villages successful Kurukshetra emblem concerns astir however MSP practices are carried retired astatine present. Some successful Charuni Jattan assertion that lone 2 of the 14 crops — wheat and paddy — are efficaciously purchased connected MSP. Sugarcane, they say, is purchased astatine a just and remunerative terms (FRP) successful the state. According to them, the authorities agencies either don’t bargain the different crops oregon procure a portion of them astatine MSP if the prices autumn successful the market. These agencies are besides against a headdress connected the procurement of crops specified arsenic paddy, mustard, and gram from the farmers.

Charuni Jattan is the colony of workplace national person Gurnam Singh Chaduni who has been progressive successful workplace agitations for much than 3 decades and is present contesting the elections from Pehowa nether the banner of the Sanyukt Sangharsh Party. Under Chaduni’s leadership, the farmers of Kurukshetra and neighbouring areas person been progressive successful raising husbandman concerns and person enactment the vigor connected the authorities successful the past.

At his field, Punia is engaged monitoring paddy harvesting with a harvester harvester machine. The procurement of paddy begins connected October 1 and volition proceed till November 15. The authorities earlier planned to statesman paddy procurement from September 23 but revised it to October 1 citing rains successful the state. The docket alteration has been made truthful that the farmers tin adust their crops successful clip earlier bringing them to the mandis.

Jai Bhagwan Punia showing damaged harvest adjacent Charuni Jattan successful Haryana. (Express Photo by Jasbir Malhi)

“My harvest has already fallen due to the fact that of winds and the rains this time,” says Punia. “So, I cannot postpone the harvesting. I person to wage Rs 8,000 per acre for harvesting paddy alternatively of the mean outgo of 3,000 per acre arsenic harvesting fallen crops is difficult. The accumulation is apt to travel down from 30 quintals per acre to 20 quintals per acre. At this juncture, immoderate hold successful procurement would beryllium cruel for the farmers similar me.”

“When the harvest is ready, past wherefore is its procurement delayed? The farmers can’t support the harvest astatine location adjacent for a day. Dekho to kisan ke halaat kya hai dharatal pe. Kahan leke jaye teyar fasal ko (Just travel to fields to spot the concern of farmers. Where tin they instrumentality their crops)?” says Karamjeet Singh, different farmer. “The paddy takes conscionable 90 days — June 15 to September 15 — to beryllium acceptable for harvesting. Till present determination are nary preparations successful the mandis for paddy procurement.”

In the colony of Naraingarh Majri, Mange Ram Sisodia, a husbandman from a Scheduled Caste community, says helium is blessed with the show of the BJP government, particularly with the instauration of nonstop payments to the relationship of farmers aft procurement, decreasing the relation of middlemen.

“We person enjoyed a batch successful the BJP government. We were similar slaves successful the Congress governments erstwhile the aartiyas (commission agents) utilized to get outgo connected our behalf leaving america bare hands. The agents utilized to deduct their wealth archetypal leaving america to his mercy to springiness the remaining payment.”

But Sisodia questions the mandatory uploading of harvest details nether the Centre’s Meri Fasal-Mera Byora Scheme arsenic portion of which they person to notation the sanction of crops and the country nether cultivation. “This (the portal) should beryllium discontinued with contiguous effect. It causes agelong lines of tractor-trolleys successful the mandis (with farmers waiting to upload details of crops) starring to delays. There are different complications too. In lawsuit we cultivate onshore by taking it connected rent, the outgo for our harvest goes to the relationship of the onshore owner, not successful the relationship of the cultivator.”

Explaining the difficulties farmers are facing due to the fact that of this system, workplace activistic Rakesh Bains says, “If determination is inaccuracy successful the data, the harvest outgo to the husbandman acrophobic volition beryllium delayed. If the indebtedness instalments of the husbandman acrophobic are pending, the banks volition not merchandise his harvest outgo making his beingness difficult.”

Senior Congress person and erstwhile CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda has already announced that a authorities led by his enactment volition scrap the strategy if voted to power.