Farmers of Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra are agitating with their demands for better price for their crops and a satisfactory loan waiver among several other things.

Interestingly, their demands are similar to what the then Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi had promised as prime ministerial candidate in the run up to the last Lok Sabha elections.

On April 15, 2014 as BJP's prime ministerial candidate, Narendra Modi had promised at a rally in Jharkhand's Hazaribagh that an NDA government would rework the minimum support price for crops with a margin for profit ensuring protection of input cost.

Narendra Modi had then said, "we will change the minimum support price. There will be a new formula - the entire cost of production and 50 per cent profit. It will not only help farmers but this step will also not allow anyone to loot farmers."

Modi repeated the promise a week later at Surendranagar, Gujarat - with a large number of cotton farmers in audience.

Narendra Modi said, "If BJP government is elected to power, I assure you that we will device a procedure for deciding MSPs of agriculture commodities. We will take into consideration expenditure made by farmers for seeds, irrigation water, electricity, farm equipment, medicines, fertilisers and other input cost. Then over the input cost we will add 50 per cent profit of farmers. So, if Rs 100 is the input cost, MSP will be Rs 150."

Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched DD Kisan channel in May, 2015. (Photo: PTI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched DD Kisan channel in May, 2015. (Photo: PTI)

Narendra Modi believed that the new formula "will not lead to situation where a farmer is forced to commit suicide." Now, farmers of Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh are demanding the same. Besides, they have added a few more to the list.

HOW THE STORY OF PROTESTS BEGAN

A PTI report said that farmers were protesting in 162 districts of the country across nine states since June 1 over two principal demands of an MSP ensuring 50 per cent profit and farm loan waiver.

The genesis of protest can be traced to Ahmednagar district of Maharashtra. On April 3 this year, a few farmers of Puntambe village gathered to discuss the agricultural problems that they face year after year.

They reached at a conclusion that the farm crisis is the combined result of low minimum support price and government's neglect of agriculture. The farmers proposed to strike. The Puntambe gram sabha passed a resolution for strike demanding remedies from the government.

Their demands included implementation of Swaminathan Commission's recommendations for long term solution and loan waiver for immediate relief. Swaminathan Commission recommended among other things an MSP ensuring 50 per cent profit on crops - what Narendra Modi promised as prime ministerial candidate.

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister presenting a memento to Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Kisan Mahasammelan in Sehore, Madhya Pradesh in February, 2016. (Photo: PTI) Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister presenting a memento to Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Kisan Mahasammelan in Sehore, Madhya Pradesh in February, 2016. (Photo: PTI)

The farmers of Puntambe might have been influenced by their brethren from Kuntamba village from same Ahmednagar district.

The farmers of Kuntamba village had launched a similar protest last year demanding implementation of Swaminathan Commission report. The other demands of the farmers included reforms in agriculture, construction of cold storages and agriculture malls - on the lines of shopping malls, pension for farmers over 60 years of age and withdrawal of cases against farmers registered for taking part in farm-related agitation.

HOW PROTEST SPREAD

As the Puntambe gram sabha passed the resolution, word spread through social media and word of mouth far and wide. Soon, over 2,500 panchayats extended support to Puntambe farmers.

The movement was gaining momentum. By the end of May, a smaller ally of the BJP - the Swabhimani Shetkari Sangathana led by Raju Shetti - came out in support of the farmers and announced an Atmaklesh Yatra.

Raju Shetti called this yatra his repentance for having sided with a government that has remained insensitive to the pains of farming class. The Atmaklesh Yatra did not find way to headlines but farmers were mobilised with this. At the end of the yatra, the farmers launched their protest in Maharashtra from June 1.

Smaller groups of farmers from Madhya Pradesh were also in touch with the agitating farmers of Maharashtra through social media. A couple of days later, the Maharashtra government held talks with the representative of the protesting farmers - Jayaji Suryawanshi of Puntambe, who announced calling off the strike without consulting the other farmers on the conditions to end their agitation. The other farmers rebelled and declared that their agitation was leaderless and would continue till their demands are met.

Farmers threw vegetables on road during protest in Nagpur, Maharashtra early this month. (Photo: PTI) Farmers threw vegetables on road during protest in Nagpur, Maharashtra early this month. (Photo: PTI)

Among the smaller groups of farmers communicating with the agitating farmers of Maharashtra was a bunch from Mandsaur in Madhya Pradesh. They picked up the thread and intensified their protest. The protest turned violent and security forces - CRPF and police - resorted to firing causing six deaths. The farmers have given a call for state wide bandh in Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh on June 12 and a rail roko campaign from June 13.

WHAT SWAMINATHAN COMMISSION RECOMMENDED

The National Commission for Farmers (NCF) or Swaminathan Commission as it is better known was set up 2004 in the backdrop of farmers' protest in some parts of the country. Noted agriculture scientist MS Swaminathan headed the commission. The Swaminathan Commission submitted five reports making recommendations for 'faster and more inclusive' growth of farm and farmers. The final report was filed in 2006. It has been biting dust ever since.

The report prescribed a holistic and multi-pronged approach to address farm distress and solve the problems of farmers. According to analysis by PRS legislative research, the key recommendations included improvement in MSP, which should be at least 50 per cent more than the weighted average cost of production.

Farmers pelted stones as they clash with the police during their agitation in Phanda near Bhopal last week. (Photo: PTI) Farmers pelted stones as they clash with the police during their agitation in Phanda near Bhopal last week. (Photo: PTI)

It also suggested providing affordable health insurance, revitalising primary healthcare centres and extending the National Rural Health Mission to suicide hotspot locations on priority basis.

It recommended setting up State level Farmers' Commission with representation of farmers for ensuring dynamic government response to farmers' problems and making provision of a social security net which includes old age support and health insurance. The farmers are demanding the same now. They expect that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will fulfill the promises that he made as BJP's prime ministerial candidate.

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