PBKMS stands in solidarity with our protesting farmers

Source: Mint

 Statement in support of the call for struggle given by farmer’s associations

Paschim Banga Khet Majoor Samity, an independent union of agricultural workers, sharecroppers, marginal peasants and plantation workers stand in solidarity with the protesting farmers across the nation, on the recent farm bills passed by both the houses of the parliament. We extend full support to the association(s) for the nationwide ‘bandh’ announced to be enforced on 25^th September, 2020.

The farm bills have literally been forced through both the houses of the parliament with the ‘Rajya Sabha’ witnessing intense scenes leading to the suspension of 8 opposition MP(s). We believe that the farm bills will decrease state support to our farmers, a majority of whom need price protection to avoid falling into debt traps. Weaning away the farming community from cultivating food crops have led to fall in real incomes due to heavy reliance of cash crops on national as well as international markets. Such a situation has led to increased indebtedness of marginal farmers along with food insecurity owing to the need to buy food grains from the market. Hence, the policies of the central government increase the involvement of market forces in determining the price of agricultural outputs which in turn increases their volatility, thereby exponentially increasing the instability of our farmers.

National policies have done little to increase the state investment in farming infrastructure and to create channels for decreasing the input costs of farming. The steady penetration of corporations and multinationals in every sphere of agriculture have led to substantial decrease in the autonomy of the farming community, with the recent farm bills eroding minimum state support assured to the farmers. Our marginal farmers, sharecroppers and those practicing subsistence farming will be the worst hit.

We condemn the hasty manner of tabling the bills in both houses of the parliament and subsequently forcing them down the throat of the nation without adhering to constitutional protocols. No public consultation was facilitated and the opinion(s) of the opposition parties were not respected. Even the reservations of one of their oldest alliance partners could not persuade the government to refer the bills to the respective parliamentary standing committee(s).

We reiterate our support to the farmer’s associations and extend our complete solidarity to their cause. We support the discussion to go on a nationwide strike on 25^th September, 2020 which we believe will enable us to use a democratic means of showing dissent to persuade the government to roll back such short sighted pieces of legislation(s).

 

Shri Uttam Gayen                   Shri Swapan Ganguly                            Smt Anuradha Talwar

(General Secretary)              (State Committee Member)                     (State Committee Member)