Country’s famous agriculture expert Devinder Sharma reached Raipur. Here he participated in a program. He emphasized that all issues are discussed in the country but no one talks about the problems faced in farming and the economic condition of the farmers. He said that the loans of businessmen are waived off but the farmers go to jail.
He also discussed how the issues of loan waiver and suicide of farmers were included in the dialogue in the recently released Shahrukh Khan’s film Jawan. Devinder Sharma spoke openly to Dainik Bhaskar on farming issues and the future. It was also told that how will the condition of the farmers of the country improve? Question- What is your view on the condition of food industry or farming in the country, what is the future?
Devinder Sharma- See, food industry and farming are two different things. When you talk about the food industry, it is growing, but the growth of the food industry does not mean that the condition of farmers is getting better. Farmers all over the world are being thrown out of their fields.
The time will come in India too that we will remove people from farming and the farmers of India should understand that if they do not come together, do not raise their voice then the time has come, I think by 2050, many Assessment studies have come out which show that by 2050 hardly 5% of the farmers will remain in India.
Question- So how will the condition of farmers in the country improve?
Devinder Sharma- Only farmers know what to do. Until they come together, half the population of the country consists of farmers. 60 crores are related to farming. If these 60 crore people do not use their votes properly and other types of governments are formed. Why can’t it be possible that 60 crore people vote on the basis of farming only? Vote as a farmer. The government should be made of farmers. Why can’t this happen?
If you vote in the name of religion, if you vote in the name of caste, if you vote in the name of political ideology, you will be killed, this is what is happening with the farmers. Unless the farmers come together and think that we have to stand in the name of farming, I do not think there will be any upliftment for the farmers.
Farmers of the country are supporting the film Jawan, Sharma said that it is good if the issue of farmers has been raised in a film.
Farmers of the country are supporting the film Jawan, Sharma said that it is good if the issue of farmers has been raised in a film.
Question- The issue of loan waiver of farmers was also raised in Shahrukh Khan’s film Jawan, your reaction?
Devinder Sharma- Ever since the film Jawan came out, I have received a lot of calls. People are saying that whatever you were saying for years, Shahrukh Khan has said it in the film. I have not seen the film but it is mentioned in it that if a farmer is unable to repay the loan, he has to go to jail. The debts of rich people get waived off like this.
I remember a businessman of a corporate house had a loan of Rs 6,500 crore, the government and Yes Bank waived off Rs 5,000 crore in one stroke. Last week, two farmers were jailed in Hisar district because they could not pay their installments. So what is the reason that a poor man has to go to jail, while a rich man’s debt is immediately forgiven.
Why are the rich of the country getting richer and the poor getting poorer? Money is given to the rich and put in their pockets, that is why the rich of the country are getting richer. When it comes to giving money to farmers, the governments throw up their hands and say, sir, there is no money.
Question- Many governments claim to double the income of farmers, why does nothing happen?
Devinder Sharma- Farmers of the country should understand one thing that whatever method is given to you to increase the production, the income will increase. So nothing like this is going to happen. If production increases, income will increase. This formula does not work, be it China, India, America or Europe. It has been seen in all countries that if productivity increases, the income of farmers does not increase.
If the governments say that they will increase the income, then the only way to increase the income is to declare Minimum Support Price (MSP) as a legal right. Declaring legal rights does not mean that the government will buy the entire crop, it is not so, it sets a benchmark that no matter whether it is a government agency or a private agency, it will not buy from the farmers below the fixed rate. If anyone tries to buy, he will be punished with a penalty. This is happening in many countries, this needs to be done in our country also.
60 crore people are associated with the farming of the country, Devinder Sharma said that this class will have to use their votes keeping agriculture in mind and not religion-caste.
60 crore people are associated with the farming of the country, Devinder Sharma said that this class will have to use their votes keeping agriculture in mind and not religion-caste.
Question- There is a lot of talk about making biofuel like ethanol from crops, it is said that this will increase the income of farmers, what is your opinion?
Devinder Sharma- See, it is very unfortunate that we tell the farmers that no farmer, no food and on the other hand we are encouraging the farmers themselves to produce ethanol. That means he should feed the cars. The food that we (humans) should eat, the food grains that people should get, will be used to feed cars.
Our food requirements will be fulfilled by agri-based business companies, I do not think it will be beneficial for the farmers. I
I don’t think it will be beneficial for the farmer. The only benefit in this will be for the company making ethanol and artificial food. As far as increasing the income of farmers is concerned, all these dramas are enough. For 75 years I have been hearing that the income of farmers will increase, you know that today farmers are at the lowest position.
If the income of farmers had increased in this way, then leave alone ours, the income of American farmers would also have increased. There is also an agricultural crisis there and it is definitely there in India. All this is the narrative of the industry. The industry wants to create an illusion among the people. A message should be given to the people that we are coming to help the farmers. No one is coming to help the farmers. They are only coming to help themselves. Question: There is confusion regarding MSP, especially in Chhattisgarh, whether the money is given by the central government or the state government?
Devinder Sharma- See, there is no confusion in this, it is very important to clarify that the Minimum Support Price (MSP) is determined by the Centre. For this, Agriculture Caste Commission has been formed. Which evaluates what price should be given. Every year the government announces MSP on 23 crops.
There are many states which want us to give some help to the farmers in the form of bonus. Now if it is more than the MSP, then there is a condition from the Central Government that if you (State Government) give more bonus than the MSP, then you will have to do the entire procurement, Central will not have any role. It’s sad it shouldn’t happen. The central and state governments will have to think together whether the MSP is adequate for the farmers.
Question- What do you think about the condition of farming in Chhattisgarh?
Devinder Sharma- The good thing in Chhattisgarh is that the traditional methods of farming are being promoted. Here the government is including it in that kind of policy. I see a ray of hope in Chhattisgarh. It is also important to promote the local farming technology, like policies are being made for drains and ponds here. I think it remains to be seen how this effort of Chhattisgarh will progress.
