The Peasants shall Continue Their Struggle for Price: Com Madan Ghosh

 

 

Paschimbanga Pradeshik Krishak Sabha along with the other left peasants' organisations has decided to go for civil disobedience movement with the demand of proper price for the food grains, supply of the fertiliser at reasonable price and against the anti-peasant agricultural policies of central and State Government. Comrade Madan Ghosh, Secretary of Krishak Sabha talked to the party website on various issues and problems of the farmers of West Bengal in the first six months of the TMC led Government.

Question: How will you distinguish between the agricultural policy of the current TMC led Government and the Left Front Government earlier?

Madan Ghosh: The most significant success of the Left Front Government was the Land Reforms. Land Reforms meant not only the distribution of the land but also the recording of barga (share-croppers). The peasants who got the land because of the land reforms got incentive for extra production. Additionally, with the expansion of irrigation and technical support, West Bengal became self-sufficient in production of food. In rice production we became top in the country. Another important thing that we have witnessed is that the farmers, who were been forced to sell the produced crops in lesser price and suffer the financial crisis and could not be self-sufficient earlier, began to get prices for their produces. Because of the land reforms the number of the small and marginal farmers had a significant growth. Currently, they constitute 84% of total number of peasants of West Bengal. Due to this changed scenario capital became a necessity to these farmers. With time, agriculture became more and more dependent on capital. However, the banks have always shown less interest to invest in agrarian sector. The situation remained unchanged even after bank nationalisation. So, the investment in agricultural sector was either by the rich farmers (In case of West Bengal) or the Jotdars (at all India level). This capital is primarily used to buy the tools and machine. One of the contributions of the Left Front Government was that it could ensure the supply of capital to the small and marginal farmers by the development of the cooperative system in the state. Out of the given loan, 4% of the interest amount used to be subsidised by the Government in cases of timely return of the loan amount. To prevent the distress sell of the crops the Government played vital role to open the rice purchase centre. Gradually these arrangements became strengthened with the involvement of self-help group, as the buyers of the crops. It is also important to note that the Central Government Agencies like FCI, JCI (in Jute) have been adequately used to ensure the selling of the crops. The Left Front Government had also paid adequate attention to provide assistance to price control and exporting the potatoes. All together these factors have created the incentives for the farmers to produce more at the time of Left Front Government.

But we have seen in the first six months of the Trinamool led Government that the Government has not played any positive role to consolidate these factors. Like in case of Jute it has failed to use the JCI, therefore the jute farmers have suffered a huge financial losses. Likewise in case of rice the payment of 50% bonus by the State Government has been stopped along with no attention to form the rice purchase centre at any of the districts. The policy to use self-help groups as the buyer of rice has been rejected by the new Government. None of the initiatives has been taken for proper distribution of the fertiliser. This situation is so gross that the peasants are not getting the Minimum Support Price for the crops (Lesser than the production cost) fixed by the Central Government. Hence the farmers are going towards a ruinous path. We are already receiving the news of farmer's suicides from some parts of West Bengal, which was not even imaginable during tenure of the Left Front Government. In Kerala we have seen such a situation earlier during the time of UDF Government, but during the LDF period there was no farmer suicide. Again of farmer's suicides are increasing in Kerala. Wayanad is a district from where large numbers of farmer's suicides have been reported within the 6months of new UDF Government. The problems of the farmers cannot be understood without mentioning the anti-peasant agricultural policy of the Central Government. That includes fertilisers and other necessities. Under this situation a section of farmers of our state are not willing to harvest Boro crop in this season. This was also an unprecedented picture at the time of LF. But unfortunately no initiatives have been noticed from the side of any ministers of TMC led State Government. If the farmers decide to continue with such decision then a large sections of farmers and field workers shall face a dangerous problem. Altogether such a situation will be ruinous at state and national level.

Question: What kind of role a State Government can play to control the price of fertiliser or to prevent black market?

Madan Ghosh: Firstly, The ruling party of the state is also a partner of the Central Government's decision to de-regulate the fertiliser business. Secondly, there has been a serious lack of initiative from the side of the State Government to ensure the supply by keeping regular contact with EFCO and other production agencies; thirdly the State Government has failed to direct the concerned district officers to ensure the supply and distribution of the fertiliser. Fourthly State Government has failed to take any enforcement measure to declare publicly the total quantity reserved to a dealer and agent and lastly to take preventive measure to transfer the license or permit of the traders. The price of the fertiliser is increasing because of these combined effects. These are also causing the rise of black market and speculation in agriculture. In this context it needs to be mentioned that most of these dishonest agents are acting as the allies of the ruling party in the state.

Question: What kind of effect has been reflected on the production of Jute, Rice and Potato due to the absence of MSP?

Madan Ghosh: In case of Jute the Minimum Support Price is Rupees 1670 per Quintal whereas the production cost is Rupees 2400- 2800 per Quintal. The current Government has never demanded for the increment in MSP. The CM only sent a letter to provide a bonus per quintal. A pre-condition of such bonus is that the FCI has to open a JCI purchase Centre if Central Government gives its consent, which has not happened. It caused the distress sell of the crops. In some cases they have even got only Rupees 800- 1000 per quintal. At last, when the State decided to give Rupees 100 as bonus per quintal in Jute, nothing was actually done due to the existence of JCI purchase Centre in State. The State Government has not declared any bonus in rice it has also not arranged for adequate number of purchase centre as it failed to develop the infrastructure. So the farmers have suffered irreparable losses in some parts of the state and they are forced to move on the same path. The season of potato production has just started. Here the main problem has arisen because of the seeds and fertiliser. Since the state is not self-sufficient in potato seeds so it was necessary to bring in high quality seeds. But the agricultural department of the state has not taken any initiative to collect the seeds. On one hand the supply of the fertiliser has also become speculative and other hand due to distress sell 30% cold storages has no empty space. So because of the scarcity of the high quality seeds and the necessary fertiliser due to their high price, the total area and production of potato might decrease in near future.

Question: How will the Kishan Sabha and other left peasants' organisation combat the situation?

Madan Ghosh: We have decided to go for civil disobedience movement with other left agricultural organisations. The civil disobedience will be observed at district and sub division level till coming 25th November. On 28th November the Left Front has called for the civil disobedience, the peasants will take part in that programme also. The left peasant's organisations will sit together and decide their future plan. The movement will continue.