The country is puzzled by the happenings in and around farmer's protest where innocent farmer men are made to sit on roads without even going through the laws that they are demanding to repeal.
As usual, most of those who advocate for men's rights and men's cause are silent as they presume that it's not a gender issue since misandric placards aren't visible, whereas the leftists, with their beast of feminism, are on with their gender-politics. For them, not only the farmer's protest is a feminist issue, but all inequalities globally are tied to gender inequality against women, therefore they take everything under the purview of intersectional feminism.
With the innocent farmer’s protest entering into another month, it’s abundantly clear that the leftist ideological groups that champions ’Hang The Rapist’ campaigns are spearheading farmer’s protest.
In my opinion, being silent on leftist misadventures and frowning only when it's a gender issue only strengthens leftists and feminists. Therefore, after what happened on Republic Day in Delhi and then the 'Toolkit' to destabilise the country getting exposed, it becomes necessary to expose the leftists and to defuse their propaganda created around farm bills.
The leftists today seems to be learning from what Gene Sharp, an American Political Scientist, wrote on how to bring down a government through non-violent and democratic ways. Out of all the methods Gene Sharp detailed, some of them include attacking the police and own security forces, blocking the roads, burn what’s used to extinguish the fire so that everything else burns, placing women and children as the first line in protest, spreading fake news, peddling negative campaigns using media, misleading people to ensure that they turn against their own democratically elected government.
If we put all this in context of what has happened in Delhi in the name of anti CAA protests and now farmer’s protest, it appears that 'intellectual' and 'woke' community is utilising Gene Sharp’s methods to satisfy it's mindless and blind hatred. They are leaving no stone unturned to somehow defame, demean and damage India, weaponising everything from “18 rupees kg maize” to the national flag on the Red Fort.
During these protests, the country has not only witnessed chaos in Delhi on Republic Day, but it also witnessed Greta Thunberg, a ‘climate activist’ doing the biggest disservice to her own cause. By supporting farmers' all demands she also supported the demand to revoke the provision of punishment to those who burn the crop stubble polluting the environment recklessly, causing black-air winters in Delhi, bearing the agony of being one among the world's most polluted cities.
Under shadow ‘intelligent’ people have made farmer’s protest lead to the planning to target India’s symbols like tea and yoga, with ‘woke’ people like ‘climate activist’ Disha Ravi, her friend Nikita Jacob, Shantanu Muluk and others.
God knows, to achieve what these ‘woke’ people were in touch with Mo Dhaliwal, a leader of the Poetic Justice Foundation, who openly support the banned terror movement demanding Khalistan.
Who in India is not aware that Khalistanis were behind waves of terror attacks in the 1980s, including the assassination of late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi?
The complicities of mechanics of the toolkit will be clear once the investigation is over, but the logic to repeal the farm laws and economic rationale of the demand of 'law for MSP' needs to be understood by farmers and non-farmers alike. And sooner the better.
Conspiracy, Politics and Economics around MSP
The farmers' protest is going on demanding the repeal of recently enacted three laws.
The first law among these is the Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020. It provides the freedom to the farmers to sell their produce in their area other than the Agricultural Produce Market Committees (APMC).
Section 3 of the Act gives farmers the freedom to carry produce outside their state or state limits. According to section 4 (3) of the Act, the trader dealing with the farmers will have to pay the farmer on the same day or at most three working days.
This law allows the central government to develop agricultural produce price information and market intelligence mechanisms for timely dispute resolution. This law gives farmers the freedom to choose an option among the local APMC or outside; while stipulating strict time for traders to ensure timely payment for their produce.
Opposition to these provisions of the agricultural laws is beyond understanding because if there is any tightening on anyone, it’s for the agents and brokers. That’s the reason why ‘woke intellectuals’ are misguiding the farmers and providing resources to their movement.
The second law is the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act 2020. The Act provides for the right to advance contract of the crop at a predetermined price to traders and exporters of agricultural products. According to section 3 (1), farmers can enter into a written contract for their produce. This contract can be done for a maximum period of five years.
The most important part of this law is that it does not mention any type of land deal. In an agricultural contract, neither land can be taken on lease, nor can it be mortgaged nor sold. Its Section 13 (1) also provides for a dispute resolution mechanism.
The third law, Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020, deals with the amendment to the Essential Commodities Act, 1955. It provides that the supply of food products will be controlled only in exceptional circumstances. That is, only in war, famine, unexpected price rise and terrible natural disasters. Why object to any such initiative?
A holistic assessment of these three laws will lead to the conclusion that leftist scumbags are misguiding innocent farmers in opposing the new laws due to their political parochialism rather than on any logic.
The purpose of these laws is to empower the farmers and connect them to the market while protecting them from falling prey to the local market. In other words, these will strengthen the market forces and Mandis will have to become more competitive. Meanwhile, the support of MSP will continue. This will relieve the farmers from the system dominated by Mandis and Adhatiyas.
In fact, these laws are capable of liberating farmers and businessmen from the archaic system.
The Rhetoric
APMC or Mandi will Shut Down
One of the main rhetoric around new farm laws is that they are brought to close all the Mandis. However, if you go through new laws, you'll find that APMC (Agricultural Produce Market Committee or Mandi) ensures taxes to the State governments, whereas these new farm laws provide that anywhere outside APMC premises is a tax-free trade zone for the farmer, and APMCs are to continue as it is. New farm laws provide a new option to the farmers without affecting the existing ones.
Law for MSP is a Must
Next rhetoric while demanding a law to bounding companies to purchase crops not less than MSP (minimum support price) is that companies purchase Maze at 18 rupees a kilo and markets it at much higher price popcorn; companies purchase Wheat at 23 rupees a kilo and markets at much higher price biscuits and other branded products.
To understand the impact if law for MSP, on the nation's economy, farmers and society, one first need to understand the economics of Sugarcane.
The sugarcane plant is used as a raw material in sugar factories for the production of sugar and sugar factories are required to purchase sugarcane from the farmers at a price not less than the State-Advised Price (SAP) for sugarcane, which stands around the highest internationally, increasing the cost of production, hence the sugar produced.
The gap between the cost of manufacturing in India and the price of raw sugar in international markets makes sugar mills reluctant to export sugar without a government subsidy. For instance, sugar contracts at international markets are trading at Rs 21-22 per kg, while the cost of production is at Rs 32 (November 2020 statistics). The price mismatch discourages export prospects as this would lead to a further loss for the mills.
With the high cost of manufacturing, the government is required to play a role to help sugar mills generate enough liquidity by offering an export subsidy.
And the scenario leads to delayed sugarcane payments, which not only becomes news headlines, but often becomes political issues as well, and where unfortunately none other than farmers only suffer!
Will Law for MSP reduce Suicidal Impulses in innocent Farmers' lives?
Sometimes, trying to conclude anything takes you to a jungle of questions and leaves one wondering where to look for answers to the burning questions. Similar is the case here. I wonder, if all the crops are brought under the MSP regime and companies are compelled to purchase crops at a price, not below the MSP, will any company be able to sell today's 5 rupees biscuit packet at 5 rupees only?
Why will an industrialist or businessmen purchase expensive crops at MSP form the farmers and not import from foreign countries at a much lower price? Why won’t he engage in contract farming abroad and shift crops here for processing? If this happens, where will the farmers sell their crops?
Won't the stocks of farm produce in homes and cold storages not getting sold lead to magnify suicidal impulses in innocent farmer's lives?
Won't, accepting the leftist's demands galvanised as innocent farmer's protest result in a misadventure of a suicidal attempt to replicate the failed status of the countries that romanticised communism before getting failed?