Since security forces have blocked farmers at Shambu and Khanauri on the Panjab-Haryana border, there have been three more rounds of talks between farmer leaders and Indian government ministers (SDW Vol. 2 Issue 7, Story 1). In the latest one on 19 Feb, the government proposed its agencies such as National Cooperative Consumers Federation (NCCF) and National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India (NAFED) will enter into contract with farmers who grow pulses — arhar, masoor and urad — and corn. The procurement will be on Minimum Support Price (MSP). There will be no limit on the quantity. Similarly, the Cotton Corporation of India will enter 5-year agreements with farmers to buy cotton crops at MSP. A number of questions arise: How different is this from the contract farming in the previously repealed Farm Laws? Farmers do not have a unified body. Who will these agencies enter an agreement with? Individual farmers? What if some year the agencies do not buy the crops? What is the mechanism to ensure their accountability? What if, some day, the government itself dissolves these agencies or sells them to a corporation? What about other demands? The farmers rejected the proposal and have decided to march to Delhi on 21 Feb, on the 100th anniversary of the Jaito Da Morcha. The government has reinforced the barricades, cut off internet in seven Panjab districts, blocked key social media handles, and sent moles into the farmers' side. In spite of farmer leaders appealing for peace, it is apparent the government wants Panjab to burst into violence so it can crack down, then harvest votes in the elections saying it curbed the ‘terrorists’ — a major media campaign going on since protests began.
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