Agricultural Middlemen in Punjab Hold the Actual ‘Keys’ ?
The ongoing farmers’ protests at the border of Delhi is being projected by
major portion of main stream media as a kind of pan India farmers’ protest. I
have strong objections to this deliberate ignorance by a large section of
media. First of all,national media didn’t pick up the issues and reasons
behind the protests which were already going on in Punjab since the ordinances
were issued earlier by the central govt. These smaller protests became bigger when
farmers started blocking railway lines. Even then the national media didn’t
take notice of a larger questions...
“Why were only Punjab farmers protesting?”
Why did Rahul Gandhi visit only Punjab twice on farmers issues?
What were there in those 3 farm acts which have affected the farmers of Punjab
to large extent?
It’s an open secret how these protests were instigated by leftist farmers’
union members, every political leader and various singers/lyricists who composed
and wrote various songs invoking religion and even called for armed struggle in their songs as well.
I am amazed how mainstream media has been ignoring the role of middlemen known
as आढ़ती in Punjab
and Haryana. I don’t have proof of their involvement in the current agitation
but their role in the lives of around 80% of total farmers’ population in
Punjab must have been studied. The importance of these middlemen can be judged from
the fact that these chaps were defended by the current Punjab CM during these ongoing protests. Many so called Agriculture
EXPERTS, specially based in Punjab have always selectively ignored their role
whenever an agrarian crisis in Punjab is discussed; because their every other arguments otherwise would become irrelevant.
Now I will discuss in detail and take up every aspect of these middlemen based at Punjab; their affect on the lives of farmers. Only after reading it, you can come to a logical conclusion.
Facets which can’t be ignored:
There
are around 40,000 registered Middlemen/Commission Agents/आढ़ती in Punjab whose substantial income comes from govt in
the form of commission which is incurred from the sale of farmers’ produce. These
people collectively earn around 1600 crores only from the commission. Actual
income of these commission agents comes from the interest on the loans provided
to small and middle farmers at the interest rate starting from 1.5% to 2% per month. Many political chaps
park their money with these people. These Commission Agents/ आढ़ती keep pleasing those people whosoever are in power;
by becoming "benevolent", may it be contributing Gurudwaras in the state or
political outfits. Many of these people MANAGE the agricultural land of NRIs
and keep large chunk of money in return. We can say these people control the
rural economy.
The current mandi system under APMC act preferably in the favour of these ‘aadhtiyas’
because it provide them a scope of assured annual income from the sure shot lifting of farmers' produce by govt.
Now
come to the farm acts which mainly allow any farmer to sell his produce to any
person outside this mandi system means a dent on the decades old assured income
scheme. Even the ‘contract farming’ if any farmer indulges in, also means
assured commission on the said produce is also gone. The
businessman who does contract farming arrangement with a farmer would also
advance them credit, provide them with seeds, monitor them, etc. Thus, their
secondary incomes of आढ़ती are also all jeopardised.
एक मासूम सा प्रश्न: When
there is so much at stake of these people; do you think these people are
watching everything from the sidelines?
Do you think, Akalis left NDA
because of farmers? No. Those who coauthored the Bill with BJP, all of a sudden realised they can’t afford to ruffle Arhtiyas in election year; hence they stepped out
of NDA, to secure them. Just Imagine, If anybody’s assured income source is going to
be compromised; to what extent he can go? If rumours are to be believed
; if each member of these 40000 'adhtiyas' contribute 1 lakh towards the ‘agitation’, it
comes out to be Rs.400 crores apart from the contributions by so called NRIs.
You ask any ‘farmer’ in Punjab about their reservations against the acts; he
will say only one parroted line “Repeal the laws. That’s it; no reasons”. No explanation
as to why?
The most logical question to these farmers would be, how these laws would affect
their lives which they are ENJOYING it now? Oh yes, Farmers may lead their lives as before but with the advent of these farm laws,middlemen are seeing what a farmer with 3-4 acres of land couldn't.
That is why I would like to call it as ARHTIYA’s PROTESTS than the Farmers’
Protests. Farmers are there at the protest sites, only to give it some sort of legitimacy.
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