BJNY: I.N.D.I.A. promises Kisaan Nyay, better laws to protect farmers' interests

Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) partners—including the Indian National Congress, NCP (SP), Shiv Sena (UBT) and Left parties—on Thursday, 14 March, stepped up their attack on the BJP-led government at the Centre and the Bharatiya Janata Party's partnership in the state, accusing them of being anti-farmer.

The various party leaders came together to assure a gathering in Chandwad, Nashik, that a government of the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance would work for the protection and betterment of farmers.

In a show of solidarity, former union agriculture minister and NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar and Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut shared the dais with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi at the farmers’ rally in this onion-growing area of Nashik district. Gandhi was in the region spearheading the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra.

The three INDIA leaders — Sharad Pawar, Rahul Gandhi and Sanjay Raut — each in their speeches targeted the union government policies, holding them responsible for the present plight of agriculturalists, for rising inflation and unemployment — and for their efforts to protect the interests of a few billionaires and industrialists.

They urged the farmers present, the majority of them onion growers affected by the flip-flop of the Centre's export/import policies, to defeat the BJP-led union government.

They promised that an INDIA bloc government would not only take care of the farmers’ needs and demands, but would also act in their favour during a crisis.

NCP (SP) chief Pawar reminded the growers of the UPA’s decision to waive off Rs 70,000 crore worth of loans. Pawar claimed that the BJP had no sympathy or willingness to address the issues faced by farmers.

He exhorted the farmers to unite to work for the defeat of the present rulers at the Centre for their neglect of the farmers, the working class and also for their failure to address burning issues such as burgeoning unemployment and price rise.

Raut, on behalf of the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT), spoke of the Centre’s on/off export and import policies causing nearly 25 lakh onion growers to incur losses to the tune of a whopping Rs 20,000 crore.

He claimed that the Narendra Modi government at the Centre was working in a dictatorial way. He added that while onion growers of Maharashtra were suffering losses due to the Centre's policies, traders from Gujarat were making a fortune by procuring onion at throwaway prices from the farmers. He warned that such a "Gujarat model" would not be tolerated.

In his speech, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi assured farmers of legalisation for a minimum support price (MSP), with the implementation of the M.S. Swaminathan formula. He also promised nyay, or justice, would be ensured through a restructuring of the crop insurance scheme, withdrawal of the GST currently recovered from farmers, loan waivers and import/export price protection for agricultural produce.