Many farmers across the country are protesting against debt waiver. In the past few months, many farmers have lost their lives and there are no signs of this trend slowing down or ending.

Nainital, Uttarakhand: Indian agriculture is plagued by several problems; some of them are natural and some are manmade.

India received a normal rainfall in 2016 — three per cent less than the 100-year average — after reeling under severe drought for two successive years. In addition, the country registered record foodgrain production in the same year, as per the official figures of the ministry of agriculture and farmer’s welfare. This was 6.37 per cent higher than last five years average production and 8.6 per cent more as compared to 2015-16. The government also boasted of having allocated a higher budget to agriculture than the previous regime with Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself promising to double the income of farmers by 2022. However, all these seemed to have had a little impact on farmers in terms of easing their problems.

The farmers in two of the largest states — Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra — have resorted to agitation over a wide range of issues concerning their livelihood. So, what has happened since then that the farmers have been forced to protest?

The dwindling crop prices are also being viewed as the other reason behind the uprising.

Farmers continue to kill themselves in Madhya Pradesh. There seems to be no end to disturbing trend among farmers. Since the Mandsaur police firing that killed six farmers, 42 more have committed suicide in the state since June 6.

Many farmers across the country are protesting against debt waiver. In the past few months, many farmers have lost their lives and there are no signs of this trend slowing down or ending. My guess is that it cannot stop because the government is looking at it from the point of view of debt, whereas the fact is that farmers do not get the right price despite hard work and good production.

The agitation of farmers of Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and Punjab is only a representation of the condition of farmers across the country.

The situation of farmers of Uttarakhand is similar to that of farmers from other states of the country. The area of Bhimtal constituency, which is under Nainital district, is famous for its natural beauty, fruit palettes and vegetables. Situated at only 315 km from Delhi, Nainital is a famous tourist spot. The major source of income of the people of the area is farming. A few decades ago, there was more production of potatoes and apples in this area; people preferred farming over any other occupation. But the situation has changed over time. After the formation of the state of Uttarakhand in 2000, this situation has changed rapidly. Today the farmers here are selling their fields and leaving. The real reason for this is that they do not get the correct price for their produce and interest is levied on their loans. On one side where 100 grams of potato is sold for Rs 40, according to this, one kg of potato should cost Rs 400.

If you are surprised and do not believe me, then go to the market and buy a potato chips pack and see that a 50-gram pack with an additional 10 grams free totaling up to 60 grams is sold to you for Rs 20. Now you yourself can calculate the price of potatoes.

The government provides cheap loans for farmers, but they do not pay any attention to the markets for their crops. As a result, the farmer cannot get the same value where he can recover the borrowed amount. Since the formation of the state, thousands of farmers, who have been cultivating fruits and vegetables in Bhimtal, have been demanding that at least the prices of their products be fixed. The local representatives use this issue to campaign for votes during the elections and forget about it as soon as they come to power. A farmers market was made in Haldwani but all the shops in the market were given to businessmen. The farmer cannot sell his crops without going through a broker.

In fact, the entire game is of earning interest, farmers sell their crops through the adityo (agent) and have to pay two to five per cent as commission; the commission is deducted after the sale of the farmer’s crop by these adityos. Whether the farmer’s crop is sold for Rs 9 or Rs 100 the adityo’s commission is fixed. The relation between these agents and hill farmers is ancient — it comes down from generations to generations. They prove to be of a big help to farmers at the time of need.

According to a local farmer, Kush Ram Singh, “Whether it is your daughter’s marriage or getting ration for the winter months, all you need to do is write a letter to the Lalaji as follows: ‘Lalaji Ram Ram. My daughter is getting married and I require a sum of Rs 10,000. Also send four sacks of flour, two sacks of rice, five oil tins, and 10 bhelis (measurement for jaggery). You can send the money after some time. Consider this letter as my invitation and come for the wedding. Yours Ram Singh.’ Lalaji too, most of the time, delivers most of the stuff on the next day itself. He does not worry about the money because the farmer has to sell his crop in the same market belonging to Lalaji. He sends more stuff than what is asked for and in reply to the invitation sends a Rs 2,000-note for the farmer’s daughter. The farmer is also happy because the money for his daughter’s marriage has been given by Lalaji. The goods sent to the farmer are at an interest rate of one per cent to five per cent per month. The rate of interest is decided depending on the farmer’s annual income and also the kind of relationship that the farmer has with the Lalaji.”

Another local farmer while agreeing to Kush Ram’s statement says: “This practice is actually like an addiction for the farmer, as a result he is not able to make himself self-reliant. Due to lack of knowledge of selling and of grading of products in the market, the farmer cannot put a price to his product, which should actually be given to it. Due to not getting the proper and correct value of our production, we leave the fruit to rot, because if the fruit is sent to the market and we do not get the price, which we want then the cost of transportation becomes an additional burden.”

Farmer Mahesh Galiaji says: “The per person requirement of fruit is 140 grams per day. However, according to a survey, the average availability of fruit per person in India is only 80 grams. That is, the fruit is beyond the reach of the common man. Farmers are forced to use their fruits in the form of manure by letting them rot at the roots of trees only because they do not get proper value for them. This is the real pain of farmers. A farmer works hard and brings his fruits to mandis and has to sell them through adityos. What price is he actually selling the farmers’ crop for and what price is he quoting to the farmer? It is only dependent on faith and trust.”

That is why the condition of hill farmers has become very bad today. Due to continuous weather change, crop production is also being affected and the farmer is being burdened with interest along with government debt. The situation is that villages — Ganga, Ramgarh, Sheetla, Satkhole, Mauna, Mukteshwar, Satbunga, Sopi, Sunkia, Lod, Gali, Cassiika, Ban, Chakhuta, Ghajar, Parbara, Shashbani, etc. — are considered as the major areas of fruit and potato production. Farmers have started to sell their land in Sunder-Badal, Dhanachuli, etc. villages. Large number of hotels and cottages are being constructed by builders to declare these lands barren.

Pratap Singh, an elderly farmer from Ghajar village, says: “This region is also famous for its natural beauty and cold climate, which is why people of the city like to buy land here. Farming is no longer being done; people are selling their ancestral land just so that they can get some money and that too immediately. What will happen to the residents here in the future only God can predict!”

If the government continues to ignore the problems of farmers, then the day is not far when farmers of this area will sell their farm land to builders. Therefore, it is necessary that the fruits of their hard work are given to farmers at the correct time and future generations are not deprived of the beautiful and tasty fruits emanating from this region.

— Charkha Features