Interviews

"MSP is every farmers' right and it should be applied to all kind of crops": V. M. Singh

V. M. Singh

Farmers are always grappling with two questions in our nation, which is the loan amount they take from the banks to grow crops and to fulfill all the other agriculture necessities and the other one is more serious as not getting the desired and satisfactory yield value as an outcome with the lowest price value. When the crops come out of the field and it reaches to the market another problem comes in front of them as  MSP.

Meanwhile, V. M. Singh, convener of the All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee(AIKSCC), during the interaction with Krishi Jagran said, "The farmer is not a beggar who needs a debt waiver, the farmer should be free from debt, that means that the farmer does not get the right price As a result of the deficit, the burden of debt is increasing on it and to get rid of this problem, every farmer should be free from debt. "Singh believes that Farmers of all crops should get the right price.

What is the difference between debt waiver and debt relief?

With debt forgiveness, it seems as if the farmer is begging for it. That is, he took a loan in a hobby and could not get it. While not getting the right price for the product, he always went into debt.

The All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee (AIKSCC) bill should be approved for debt relief. Private member bills will be introduced for this. If this bill has been passed in the Rajya Sabha, it will also be passed in the Lok Sabha. Any existing government or any government that is coming will have to give relief.

What is the bill proposed by the AIKSCC?

There is much more in the bill proposed by the committee. There are policies for farming farmers in the field of cultivation. The definition of farmer is different. The scope of the farmer has been increased. A solution for two major problems like debt waiver and MSP has been sought.

"Right to Farmer's Right to a Minimum Support Price" -

VM Singh says that the government only promises that it will provide minimum support price for the farmers, but the reality is something else. If the government wants to bring MSP, then it should be implemented on C2 formulas in which the farmers will also be included in the rent for the MSP. Meanwhile, he said that in the Swaminathan report in 2006, it was said that the cost should be one and a half times the cost. With the implementation of this recommendation to the government, the tenure of the last ten years should also be given to the farmers. As a result, the farmer may be completely debt free.

"Bill to bring for MSP" -

VM Singh believes that if the MSP can be made an authority, then we should bring the bill for it. We are working on this basis. About 23 parties have supported it. If it can be approved in the Rajya Sabha, then it could be approved in the Parliament too. The government should give a minimum support price for all crops. If the value of MSP is low for making a purchase then the government should strictly take the action and bring some action in front.

"BJP government pull back the feet" -

The current BJP government had said that it would cost one and a half times of the cost, but in 2015, the Supreme Court gave an affidavit that we will not be able to approve it right now. Now he is not willing to give MSP according to Swaminathan's report. He does not want to apply the minimum support price on the Yankee C2 formula.

"If you're making policies for agriculture then you should know what it actually is" -

VM Singh says that such people will have to make the policies in the country who have knowledge of agriculture, such people should not be involved in policies that do not know the farming or they do not understand the farming.

"The Prime Minister's Crop Insurance Scheme (PMFBY) not really a Successful scheme" -

VM Singh believes that the Prime Minister's Crop Insurance Scheme has not benefited farmers. The government has collected 23 thousand crores of premium but the return has come to just Rs 9 thousand crores. This scheme has not been able to fully functioned to benefit the farmers.

Is it that the farmers' movement is the only way for a perfect solution?

No. The definition of movement will change. The movement should not be just a flywheel. Rational policies have to be talked about. There will be such arguments in front of the government that, in reality, the picture of agriculture can be changed.

How will the youth approach to farming?

If there is a solution to the MSP and the debt relief to improve the condition of the farmer in the country, then why will not it turn the young generation towards farming. Their parents will not stop them from cultivating. Because when they will get the right price for the produce, it is obvious that there will be no deal of agricultural loss. There should be excellent farming. Readers can bring the difference for farming. Today's educated people should be pioneers. The technical battle is for the educated youth to get ahead and solve the problem of today's problems.

"Being marginal and small farmers are happy" -

Singh says that the prosperity of the small and marginal farmer is the prosperity of the country. Obviously, if a small farmer grows, his dependence remains on production. But in the meantime, due to not getting the right value in the market, its capital is not returned, so that it goes into debt.

Why is there no change since independence?

Replying to this, VM Singh says that the farmer in the country has always been tortured. The reason is that it has always been ignored. Sometimes he did not get the price for yield. The Green Revolution also came but it's the farmer who is at the stake. In the situation of good production, the farmers are going through the same time. If there is a small and marginal farmer, then the situation is different. The small farmer who is dependent on his produce raises the deficit if he is forced to sell at a low price. Along with that, he takes more loans for the next crop.

How do you see the government's strategy of doubling the farmer's income?

The government should highlight what is the actual roadmap for it. How will it get doubled the income by 2022? Singh believes that only the farmer's debt is raising in such a way. He said that till 2022, only farmers will get a loan of Rs. Today, almost 14 lakh crore rupees have become debt. And the reason for this problem is not just the right price. Income can be doubled by giving the right price for the produce. This plan is not being implemented properly because the reality is something else.

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