The political economy of Farmers agitation:
At a recent informal KICS sharing, Rajni Bakshi raised the question: would the farmers agitation end up (video) being like the Textile Strike? (Rajni Bakshi: The long haul (txt) , Ayesha, Rajeev CED- The 10th month (pdf))
Modi - "In India's agriculture sector, modernisation is the need of the hour. It has been delayed and we have already lost a lot of time," Man ki baat 28th march 202`.."In order to create new employment opportunities in the agriculture sector, to increase farmers' income, it is equally important to adopt new alternatives, innovations along with traditional agricultural practices," https://english.mathrubhumi.com/news/india/modernisation-need-of-hour-in-agriculture-sector-pm-modi-1.5551559.
https://thewire.in/agriculture/usa-farmers-unions-msp-protests-reagan
https://www.facebook.com/WorkersUnity18/videos/145228567425067/
The Great Reset: Bill Gates & Farming - WHAT'S GOING ON? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fg0c2x74mgU
All signatories from the US are the the eco-agroecology "diaspora", if I may use that term. <https://ggjalliance.org/updates/we-stand-with-indias-farmers/>*for the historic and ongoing farmers' uprising in India. The statement is endorsed by 87 US-based farmer networks and coalitions and other aligned agroecology networks, and it's getting some news coverage in India. (Just saw this story in the Wire.
The statement connects the dots on how forces of neoliberalism stifle small farmers, from India to the US and particularly implicates US agriculture and trade policies that have resisted MSP for farmers in India. from email
Move paddy-wheat to UP, Bihar, Bengal to save Punjab from desertification — agronomist SS Johl https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nZGUBIdT6PM
We have allowed Swaminathan Iyer to quote Mohinder Gulati, former CEO of the UN’s Sustainable Energy for All campaign, saying farmers around Delhi burn 100 million tonnes of crop stubble annually, generating 140 million tonnes of carbon dioxide, 12 million tonnes of other polluting gases, and 1.2 million tonnes of particulate matter. Smog in Delhi and neighbouring areas chokes 50 million people, closes schools, and causes irreversible lung damage to 2.2 million children and many adults. Burning stubble “also destroys the nitrogen and carbon potential of the soil, kills microflora and fauna beneficial to the soil, removes a large portion of organic matter, and unavoidably leads to increased use of chemical fertilizers.” He then quote Gulati to say the creaking government system has failed to check this (stubble burning, excess water utilisation, chemical farming), and needs replacement by “a competitive, efficient and well-regulated private sector.” But the farmers insist on the status quo.
The question before is Which farmers and what status quo..
Agro ecological farmers want a transparent publicly funded system, not a "opaque corporate dominated system where the centre is even not willing to enact a clause ensuring minimum or remunerative prices! as for well regulated we are seeing what the regulators are doing to the banks, telecom, airports
https://www.gosanangelo.com/story/news/2019/11/13/late-1970-s-farm-strike-brought-attention-dire-situation/2569975001/
https://www.cato.org/commentary/examining-americas-farm-subsidy-problem
The Right wing sees this agitation differently. Swarajya channel and Swarajya.com Magazine How Modi Govt Is Winning The Battle On Farm Laws Despite Farmer Protests At Singhu Border| Middlemen https://youtu.be/KTjbiDiH-94 This one talks about how the govt. has played a master-stroke by direct online payments of MSP!!! in earlier elections we had master strikes, phulwama.
A lot has been made of "middlemen". Yes, we have seen many of them. They do provide a service and they are often farmers connection with loan sharks.. but I have not seen any, who would be able to buy electoral bonds or fly the chief in a sea-plane, or build multistoreyed residences in Peddar Road!!!