329 - ANGAD SINGH JUNIOR - MOHIT SHARMA KISAN ANDOLAN
It's in Hindi, but I think you'll get the gist.
Here is a Translation for those of you who don't understand Hindi fluently:-
Angad Singh junior on Kissan Andolan
Angad Singh junior points out the flaws in the Farmers Bill 2020 and discusses the need for it to be amended in a manner that is in favour of the farmers. He says that the farmers will continue their protest until the government takes a positive action against this.
He criticises the current BJP government and its followers by tagging them ‘Andh Bhakts’ (blind worshippers), as they support their leader regardless of the number of flaws they make. Even when the mind says that the leader could be wrong, the 'Andh Bhakt' believes the leader to be always right and infallible.
Only a person who has suspended his faculty of critical examination of evidences, can be an 'Andh Bhakt'.
In English a better word, be 'Blind Followers’.
He later explains the flaws in the ordinances introduced in farmers bill 2020;
The farmers sell their crops in a ‘mandi’ which is handled by the State Government.
In mandis, the ‘arthiyas’ are people who act between farmers and government. Meaning "go betweens" who make things happen for the farmers who don't have the time of the knowledge to deal with Govt Babus & Govt Regulations
The state governments impose a particular tax on arthiyas to ensure that not everyone can buy crops from farmers.
The crops are sold to government and private players through an auction system on MSP (Minimum Support Price).
The BJP Central government wants to open a parallel mandi in which no MSP would be imposed.
Farmers now will produce their crop and can sell anywhere across India, now the cost transportation, toll tax etc. could cost them a lot which may be more than the profit they gain.
Therefore, government should assure a mandi near by a farmer’s place and MSP should be assured.
Under the essential commodities act, the government has ended the limit to store a particular item.
Many of the farmers or even common man may not be able to afford a huge storage space. So, the wealthy private players can buy an item in huge amount from private mandis and then can store it for as long as they want.
This will not affect only farmers but also the normal people who consume grains.
The government is introducing contract farming in these bills. There are a number of cases in the past which contractors have exploited farmers.
If a farmer does not want to do contract farming, he will have to struggle for good rates, due to which farmers will be indirectly forced to perform contract farming.
Therefore, it is important to have MSP.
