New Delhi: As the two-day long mega farmer rally concluded on Friday, crop-growers left behind a note that was both an apology and an eye-opener.
On the morning of Friday at Ramlila Grounds, when close to 20,000 farmers were gearing up to march towards Parliament Street, lakhs of city people on other side of the divide were getting ready to leave for work. As expected, the traffic, due to the agricultural workers on the streets of the national capital, went for a toss.
However, the protesting farmers, despite their pressing demands, were aware of the inconvenience that was going to be caused.
They handed out a note to everyone they saw outside the Ramlila grounds and during the march. It began with, “We are sorry. This march must have caused inconvenience to you. We are farmers. Troubling you is not our motive. We ourselves are disturbed. We have come a long way to make the government and you listen to us.”
The note that began with an apology, also detailed how they were not given their due in terms of remunerative prices for their produce.
The letter quoted the price farmers pay to buy commodities and the rate at which it is available in the city.
According to the note, Moong costs Rs 120 a kilo in the markets while farmers produce the same at Rs 46 a kilo. Agricultural workers sell a kilogram of tomato at Rs 5 while the final price hikes up to Rs 30. Apples have the highest difference, wherein crop-growers get Rs 10 a kilo and it sells at Rs 110 a kilogram. Milk sees more than 200 percent hike as well, with no profits shared with the cultivators.
“We buy costly and sell cheap,” said the note.
During the two day protest farmers demanded remunerative prices for their produce and freedom from debt.
“Our life is also cheap. In the last 20 years, over three lakh farmers have committed suicide,” the pamphlet said.
Protesting farmers also demanded a special session of Parliament on agrarian crisis to pass two Bills: one pertaining to one-time full loan waiver, the other for a long-term institutional measures to ensure farmers are not pushed into debt again. They also demand implementation of Swaminathan Commission recommendations that say the minimum support price should be fixed at 50 percent above the comprehensive cost of production.
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