More than 1500 people gather in Aotea Square on Sunday, December 6
Venkat Raman
Auckland, December 6, 2020
More than 1200 members of the Indian community got together at Aotea Square in Auckland’s Central Business District today (Sunday, December 6, 2020) in sympathy with the farmers in India fighting against new agricultural laws.
Three contested laws
Farmers in India are protesting against the ‘Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020,’ ‘the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020,’ and the ‘Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020.’
The three Bills were passed by Indian Parliament in September, with the Indian government saying that they will improve the lot of the farming sector.
Produce Trade & Commerce Act
It said that the ‘Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce Act’ will allow farmers to sell their produce anywhere they want, including online. The Act stops the State government from imposing any tax or fee for these transactions.
But the farming community is scared that the Act may lead to corporatisation of the entire agricultural market, with prices driven by large and medium-sized corporates in India.
The States of Punjab and Haryana are supporting the protests but for a different reason.
They believe that if they are not allowed to levy taxes and faces, they may lose respectively up to Rs 3500 Crores (about $700 million) and Rs 1600 crores (about $320 million) every year.
Better deal says the government
According to Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar and Food and Consumer Affairs Minister Piyush Goyal, ‘The Farmers Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act’ assures farmers of a legal framework to enter into pre-arranged contracts with buyers including pricing.
“This will help our farmers strike a better deal,” they said.
But the farmers are not convinced. They fear that corporates will twist and turn words to bind them into unfavourable contract, just as moneylenders make workers into bonded labour. They believe that it would be hard for them to understand the ramifications of contracts.
Essential Commodities Bill
‘The Essential Commodities Amendment Bill’ removes food grains, potatoes, onions and other perishable food from the list the List of Essential Items except in times of war, famine or extraordinary situations.
The Act also allows people to stock as much as they want unless the price of a perishable goods doubles or there is a 50% increase in the price of non-perishable goods.
The implications are that supermarkets and corporates in the business can stock up, reducing the supply, while the demands remains the same.
Farmers say that this will create price fluctuations which will affect them adversely.
Appeal to repeal the laws
The New Zealand Herald quoted Harpreet Singh, an organiser of the protests in Auckland as saying that they want New Zealand to pressure the Indian government to repeal the laws.
“These laws will force farmers in India to go into further debt. Many Indians living in New Zealand have families in India who are directly or indirectly connected to farming. India is an agricultural country and without government support, our farming community will have no safeguards,” he said.
Supreme Sikh Society of New Zealand Spokesperson Daljit Singh expressed concern over the farming laws passed in India, saying that it will affect their lives.
The pinch of Winter in India
“Winter has set in many parts of India and it is heart-rending to see our farming brothers and sisters sitting on roads to protest against these three Acts. This is not a protest by farmers in Punjab alone but the entire country since the laws will affect everyone. We request the Indian government to engage in proper conversation with the farming community in India and resolve the issue. We look forward to a positive outcome,” he said.
Protests have been held in various parts of the world including USA and Canada as an expression of solidarity to farmers in India.
According to Asian News International (ANI) the protesting farmers in India have called for a nationwide shutdown on Tuesday, December 8, 2020.
Pictures sent by Daljit Singh, Spokesperson, Supreme Sikh Society of New Zealand
