Nationwide Protests Announced Against Center’s “Anti-Farmer” Agricultural Policy Framework

The Himachal Kisan Sabha, along with the All India Kisan Sabha, has strongly opposed the Central Government’s draft National Policy Framework on Agricultural Marketing. They have called for nationwide protests on December 23, 2024, where district-level demonstrations will be held, and copies of the policy will be burned. The Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) has also pledged its support for this protest.

The framework, circulated by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare for public feedback, has sparked outrage among farmer organizations. According to the Kisan Sabha, the policy is designed to favor corporate interests at the cost of farmers’ livelihoods.

Farmers’ Interests Sacrificed for Corporate Profits

The Kisan Sabha claims the framework exposes the government’s plan to sacrifice farmers’ welfare to increase corporate profits. Small and medium farmers are expected to bear the brunt of these changes, which could push them out of agriculture entirely. The Sabha has demanded the immediate withdrawal of the draft framework.

Dr. Kuldeep Singh Tanwar, President of the Himachal Kisan Sabha, criticized the government, stating, “This is yet another attempt to reintroduce the repealed anti-farmer agricultural laws through the back door. Farmers will not stand for it.”

Key Concerns Highlighted

The draft proposes several market-oriented reforms that farmers argue will undermine their rights and benefits, including:

• Establishment of private wholesale markets.
• Direct procurement by corporates, bypassing APMC markets.
• Replacement of traditional market yards with corporate-controlled warehouses.
• Privatization of storage infrastructure, leaving farmers vulnerable to price exploitation.
• A unified market fee and trade license system, which could erode state governments’ control over agricultural marketing.

Bihar’s Example Sparks Debate

The draft ironically highlights the “miserable” condition of Bihar’s agricultural markets following the repeal of the APMC Act in 2006. According to the framework, Bihar’s APMC markets are in disarray, contradicting earlier claims by the government that the state’s deregulated markets were a model for reform.

“The Center’s hypocrisy is evident. While it celebrates Bihar’s deregulated markets as a success story, the framework admits they are in shambles,” said Hottam Sonkhla, State Secretary of the Himachal Kisan Sabha.

Call for Farmer-Friendly Policies

• The Kisan Sabha has also criticized the framework for ignoring key demands of the farmer movement, such as:
• Legalizing Minimum Support Price (MSP).
• Increasing public investment in agriculture.
• Providing farmer-friendly credit facilities.

Instead, the policy focuses on enabling corporate control of the agricultural sector. “This is not reform; it is exploitation,” said Satyawan Pundir, State Finance Secretary of the Sabha.

Protests to Intensify

The December 23 protests are expected to be a strong display of farmer unity. Copies of the policy will be burned at district headquarters across the country as a symbolic act of defiance. The farmer organizations have urged the Center to engage in meaningful dialogue with farmer groups and state governments to draft policies that genuinely benefit the agricultural community.

“The battle for farmers’ rights is far from over,” said Dr. Tanwar. “We are prepared to fight until the government listens to the voice of the farmers.”

As tensions rise, all eyes are now on the December 23 protests, which could reignite the momentum of the farmer movement seen during the repeal of the three controversial farm laws.