Mood of the Nation - India Today

https://www.indiatoday.in/mood-of-the-nation-survey-august-2021 

 Support for Modi as 'Best Choice for PM' Falls from 66% to 24% in a Year, India Today Poll 16/AUG/2021  Finds https://thewire.in/government/narendra-modi-prime-minister-adityanath-india-today-poll
The triggering factors for this were inflation and the Union government's handling of the COVID-19 second wave. 

The magazine’s cover indicates that inflation and unemployment are top concerns of an Indian at this point. Within only a span of six months – from 17% in January 2021 – the number of people who think that the economy will “get worse” has grown to 32%.

 

Midweek Matters 28 || Parakala Prabhakar​ https://youtube.com/embed/0RJ2EwIheR8?start=80&end=472 
In this Episode Dr Parakala looks at the contrasting findings of surveys conducted by india Today (Mood of The Nation) and Morning Consult, and shows how they could help us understand BJP's present reluctance to engagement in Bengal, especially with regard to Bhabanipur by-election.   

Morning consult say PM approval 70per cent.. Not really reliable as sample size to small and restricted to literate and interviewed on line.  Link to the portal of Morning Consult: https://morningconsult.com/

Can Farmers Become a Political Class?

Kisan Sansad: Can Farmers Become a Political Class? | Yogendra Yadav https://youtu.be/carytlWOjuw?t=217   Aug 17, 2021 

Devendra Sharma, Darshan Pal, , when a tractor user becomes PM, the approach and Narrative of development will change 

Yudhvir Singh: Those who have come to power have done so, because Kisan has also supported them,  Now the call from Farmers from all over will 

Jiginder Singh Ugraha: We have been able to people aware that these deicision have been made in favour of Corporate. Thus if not this government  the next govt will have to listen to the movement of people. this will bring about impact on politics of the country. 

Joginder Yadav: What did the movement achieve?  13 days of Kisaan Sansad had people from  arpound 3700 farmers from 20 states took part. 56 hours of discussions, and spoke about 6 laws in depth.  Bodes well for Democracy. 

Can this be apolitical?  If you consider politics as elections politics then the Sayukh Kiasn Morcha is not in politics. We have told people like in West Bangal that they should not to vote for people who are working against farmers.  If by politics we are talking about engaging with politics issues and not caring about how we are being ruled, or the decisions that you are taking, in this sens not just the Kasan Andolan but every other movement is an integral part of politics. To be apolitical in this sense means that you distance yourself from the nations future.  The Yug dharma in the current Yug is Politics. 

Will the farmers issue affect the Politics of the country? The andolan should change the arena of politics..  Will we go back to our identities of caste or religion or divisive politics at the time of voting? - This andolan has for the fist time raised the hope of Kisaan is not falling into the trap of divisive identity politics. 

A Question of Strategy – Farmers Stir and Its Foes

A Question of Strategy – Farmers Stir and Its Foes in India https://countercurrents.org/2021/07/a-question-of-strategy-farmers-stir-and-its-foes/  — by Hiren Gohain — 25/07/2021

Farmers believe since their movement has solid support of farmers and workers in the states other than those directly involved... But.. the support is not as organised, watchful and militant . Hence.. a flurry of policy measures that take them by surprise .

In Assam..a new directive from the centre many farmers here who had received Rs.6000 in three instalments  will have to return the amount as they do not hold secure land Pattas...On retrospect (this move) may well have been a cold, calculating stratagem to find out the amount of land to be ultimately given away to corporates.For dispossessing farmers of their land is one of the priority aims of the disputed laws.

Reportedly, the state government has been asked not to buy foodgrains from farmers any more.  the state government has been asked not to buy foodgrains from farmers any more. 

Given these attacks, front farmers' leaders have got to find solutions in time to such problems behind the lines

Sukla Sen Comments: 

.. the aim of the three farm laws, taken together, is to corporatise (with Adani/Ambani very much in the lead) food/agricultural trade/sector and, on the way, dismantle the system of procurement, and also distribution (at discounted rates) to targeted groups, by the state.

..The ongoing fight is, no doubt, a historic one; in order to overwhelm the regime. However, it has to generate strong waves of support from amongst the wider public. That's not yet happening.
Maybe the way the common consumers are going to be hit remains to be adequately highlighted.

The regime has, as it appears, opted to tire out the agitation - avoiding spectacular use of coercive measures.  In fact the stir has already significantly receded from public discourse.

So, it's admittedly, a tough situation. Nevertheless, the agitation is still on. Just had a big event at the Jantar Mantar. When and how a spark turns into a prairie fire or a flame gets simply doused - leaving only ashes behind, is not too easy to predict. It has, apparently, its own mysterious dynamics.

Other Views: Unless, State government moves quickly to sort out the existing problems with the APMC and Agricultural System, the Centre needs to only bide its time, and allow the agricultural crisis to deepen.   The issues include exploitation by CAs, lower price realisation, lack of transparency in the trading process, collusion among traders, price cartelisation, delay in payments and low quality of mandi infrastructure.  If the farmers are to have a fighting chance against the juggernaut of Corporatism, they would have to install a modern a system of transparent real time comparative information on  price, production, commodity.. and innovative local systems of finance freed from the clutches of trader manipulation.

How farmers view the existing Mandi system https://www.newindianexpress.com/opinions/2020/dec/12/how-farmers-view-the-existing-mandi-system-2235123.html 
12th December 2020 The Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020. enabling the farmers to sell their produce directly to any traders outside the state government-controlled markets. Second, by facilitating the setting up of electronic agricultural trading platforms.
Kurnool and Kadapa regions in Andhra and Ammur and Denkanikottai in TN Study: Over half of the farmers we interacted with (57%) are unhappy with the mandi system of sale. While 43% are satisfied.

The reasons for unhappiness are exploitation by CAs, lower price realisation, lack of transparency in the trading process, collusion among traders, price cartelisation, delay in payments and low quality of mandi infrastructure.
Those satisfied with the mandi system are due to trust built over time with CAs and traders, reasonable price discovery and trust in government control.

This section of the farmers preferred to stay with the mandis due to difficulty in adjusting to a new system and fear of exploitation and low price realisation. Yet, they demanded an improvement in the efficiency of operation of mandis and prices offered there. These results suggest that farmers are somewhat divided on their choice of the mandi system of trade. So the government did the right thing by allowing the farmers to continue to sell their produce in mandis and providing alternative options to others.

Most farmers depend on CAs for credit, price information, transportation and storage. This suggests that farmers’ ability to take advantage of the new trading opportunities depends on the institutional conditions that control farm production. Therefore, the government needs to put complementary support mechanisms to empower the farmers and reduce their dependence on CAs for agricultural support services. Then, the goal of freeing up the farmers from the clutches of mandis would become easier to achieve.

For other articles on farmers agitation: http://emeets.lnwr.in/index.php/farmers-agitation-against-black-laws