Talks in harmony can resolve farm issues, violent protests are for electoral gains

The farmers struggling for their betterment have to bear the consequences of anarchy.

Sanghnomics is a weekly column that tracks down and demystifies the economic world view of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and organisations inspired by its ideology.

A section of farmers from Punjab have once again started protesting with a charter of demands that goes much beyond the core demand of legalising the Minimum Support Price(MSP) for all crops. Their charter includes demands for free electricity, loan waivers, and a call for justice in Lakhimpur Kheri case.

In 2021, some farmers were killed in violence in Lakhimpur Kheri in Uttar Pradesh. The matter is already sub-judice and yet the organisations that claim to be representing farmers are demanding ‘justice’! The timing of the agitation and the continuous shifting of goal posts by the so-called leaders of these protesters during negotiations with the Central government indicate that this is more of a political movement.

Unfortunately, these protests have taken a political turn and are clearly aimed at targeting the Bharatiya Janata Party-led government at the Centre in view of the forthcoming Lok Sabha polls.  This is a repeat of the earlier year-long farmer agitation which was launched and carried forward with similar objectives.

In this context, it is important to have a look at the stand taken by India’s largest farmers organisation, the Bharatiya Kisan Sangh(BKS). BKS is inspired by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh(RSS). It was set up by Dattopant Thengadi, an ideological stalwart of the RSS. Thengadi was also founder of Swadeshi Jagaran Manch(SJM) and Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh(BMS).

SJM plays an important role in the sphere of policy advocacy for building a self-reliant India. BMS is the largest labour organisation in the country and works for welfare of labourers and workers in both organised as well as unorganised sector.

The current stand of BKS shows the way forward to address the issues related to farmers and agriculture. In a statement issued on February 13, it said “Bharatiya Kisan Sangh does not support the violent movement.”  All India General Secretary of BKS Mohini Mohan Mishra said it hurts when some people with political intentions use the shoulders of farmers to further their political interests.

Bharatiya Kisan Sangh believes that when a political movement is carried out in the name of farmers, it is only the farmers who suffer the loss. The movements in Mandsaur (Madhya Pradesh) and Delhi in the past years are proof of this. At some places the …farmers lost their lives. Their issues and demands remain the same. Therefore, Bharatiya Kisan Sangh insists that political manoeuvres related to election in the name of farmers should be stopped.”

Protests Without Violence

It isn’t that BKS does not carry out agitations or protests. It believes that when dialogue doesn’t find a way, agitation does. But there is no need to indulge in violence for that. To demand remunerative price of farmers’ produce on the basis of cost, BKS organised a mammoth rally of farmers on December 19, 2022.

More than one lakh farmers participated in this ‘Kisan Garjana rally”. It was a disciplined and peaceful demonstration where more than one lakh farmers came to Delhi, expressed their views to the government in a peaceful democratic manner and returned without troubling anyone.

Contrast it with the violent protests by a handful of protesters who are fighting pitched battles and making a show of their strength by lining up tractors at Punjab-Haryana border. For almost a year these protesters, in the name of farm agitation, caused immense suffering to the common people living in and around the Delhi border.

According to BKS, organisations fighting in the interest of farmers should find solutions to the problems of the farmers with harmony. The farmer has the right to get remunerative price on the basis of cost and he must get it. The key challenges are to procure seeds and sell the produce at the right prices. It is important to stop exploitation of farmers in both the seed market and the farm produce market.

Mishra says candidly when there are movements in the name of farmers during elections with political intentions, then the violence, chaotic environment and loss of national property during the movement gives rise to negative feelings towards the farmers in the society. Ultimately the farmers struggling for their betterment have to bear the consequences of  such anarchy. That is why BKS does not support violent agitation.

“We urge those who want to fulfil their political ambitions to do so. But do not create negative feelings towards farmers in the society. We reiterate that the farmer should get the remunerative price based on the cost, which is his right,” said Mishra, spelling out the BKS stand.

To make farming more remunerative for the farmers, the BKS is in favour of - remunerative prices based on cost as the right of the farmer;  abolition of  GST on agricultural inputs;  increase in  Kisan Samman Nidhi; organic farming; not allowing Genetically Modified(GM) seeds and treating seeds as the right of the farmer.

Earlier Sanghnomics columns can be read here.

Arun Anand has authored two books on the RSS. His X handle is @ArunAnandLive. Views are personal, and do not represent the stand of this publication.