Farmers leaders meet to launch National Body

A meeting of over twenty all India farmers organisations, which took place in New Delhi on March 14 2011, resolved to launch the Federation of Indian Farmers Organisations by end of March with the participation of all the political parties and expert groups. The group deliberated upon and decided to adopt FICCI model structure but to be guided by a presidium to represent interests of the farmers with minimum one farmers association and maximum three from each state. National leaders and former Agriculture Ministers – Sh. Ajit Singh and Sh. Rajnath Singh and eminent scientist, Prof. MS Swaminathan welcomed the idea of forming national federation and expressed their full support to the farmers leaders. The meeting was convened by M J Khan, Editor of Agriculture Today Magazine.

The stormy meeting participated by major farmers organisations also demanded CBI enquiry into the funding of a Delhi based environmental NGO by the European Union for catalysing the formation of pressure group. Dr Krishan Bir Chowdhary of Bharat Krishak Samaj stated that the funding in excess of Rs 56 crore received by this NGO has been misused against the interest of farmers and questioned if lobbying in India by foreign money is legally permitted? He added that a part of these funds were used to generate scientifically incorrect studies against the pesticide Endosulfan. The EU has proposed the listing of Endosulfan as a persistent organic pollutant at the stockholm convention and is pushing for a global ban, which will cause huge loss to the farmers and Indian agriculture.

There are 120 million farmers’ families in India and over 75 million use Endosulfan. As there is no effective substitute for endosulfan millions of farmers will lose their right to choose an affordable and pollinator friendly insecticide said Puneet Singh Thind, President, Rashtriya Kisan Sangathan. He warned that NGOs, no matter how powerful, can not be allowed to play with the interest of farmers.

Farmers also demanded that an Income Insurance Scheme to be raised by Rs. 5,000 crore so that they could be covered by price fluctuation and crop failures. They demanded fair price to their produce and not the subsidy, which they termed is harming agriculture. Asking for MSP to be extended to more crops, particularly the horticulture crops, farmers termed the Union Budget 2011 – 12 as disappointing for farmers, as no major program launched for agriculture development. They expressed concerns that no farmers organisations are invited in pre or post budget discussions, except some MNC sponsored farmers, propped up by industry bodies. On the land acquisition issue, farmers warned that the Governments should not act as property dealers with profiteering motives, and should give farmers minimum 75% of the market rate. And if land acquisition bill is not passed to the satisfaction of the farmers, they will launch a nationwide protest.

Major organisations who participated in today’s meet were Bhartiya Krishak Samaj, Confederation of Kisan Organisations, Rashtriya Kisan Sangathan, Gujarat Farmers Federation, All India Vegetable Growers Association, Bhartiya Kisan Union, All India Apple Growers Association, Bihar Farmers Federation, Association of Haryana Farmers Club, Kisan Cell of BJP, All India Medicinal Plants Association, UP Seed Growers Association, Kerala Organic Movement besides others.