Better it ends right now!
There is as of now, as we writes massive trust deficit between the farmers and the government and this trust deficit must somehow be brought to an end. How is the unresolved question.
Farmers’ agitation and the way the deadlock is going to be resolved. The role of the media in creating mutual understanding and trust critical. Why the farmers’ s agitation has taken the turns and twists it has done and thus vitiated the political environment so badly. It is really sad to see that a good package of farm reforms is thoroughly mis-turned into a total negative step.
Agriculture specially must be a great national priority and it is even now. The agitations must have been foreseen when the bills were rushed through many sections of opinion felt so when the rush through Parliament took place. However, the way the agitation was pushed forward is really unfortunate. Now, what matters is the resolution of the overblown issues.
Many of the provisions in the three contentious laws are really good and conceived in good spirit. Some compromise and give and take is in place. And let us hope that instead of further hardening of postures on both the sides, much goodwill is brought to bear on the issues. The media, both print and the news channels played a very restrained role and in fact we needed much more open expression of opinions from all sides and we are sorry to note that many those who participated in the TV debates almost people accustomed to participate in such debated and most of them seemed to have been based in Delhi and most of them if we can say, are professional speakers and commentators.
In a field like agriculture we need to reach out to people in the States and also those engaged in farming activities and local bodies, like Zilla Parishads and gram panchayats. We are really disappointed that senior leaders and authorities like former Prime Ministers, and even State Chief Ministers (like Deve Gowda, Kumarasamy and why even those from other regional parties and well-known farmers leaders were not interviewed and a diverse sections of people who are better placed to give the government and the public a better and balanced views on such matters like MSP and contract farming etc.
Leaders like Sharad Pawar and Deve Gowda as Chief Ministers of Maharashtra and Karnataka have proposed many farm reforms like land ceiling laws and tenancy farming had long ago had spoken about such issues now covered by the three farm legislations.
Surely, the media comments on the ongoing controversial debated is in our opinion is an old hat, to put it bluntly and the farm issues now covered is still only a starting point. Much more in-depth debates are required to turn the farm sector into a reasonably profitable track.
Even in the current agitation we heard from many sections of the participating. Farmers, both men and even women agitators talking of the future of farmers in bleak terms. Surely, farming for the marginal and small holder farming it is not a field for future for their heirs and we have to do many more things than what we have envisaged so far. There are other sociological issues that cover lives in the Indian hinterlands.
So, let not the current urban -focused TV news content deceive us to think we know all the current realities. We need more genuine spread of panchayat raj and much more modernisation, in terms of communications and why even in education and employment prospects and the very entrenched bureaucracy at the district and panchayat levels.
There are issues after issues in the Indian villages.
Let us all, both the government, the already enriched and entrenched political class learn to be humble and even make a partial withdrawal from the self-sure hardening attitude.
Let our brave farmers also learn some humility in taking the issues beyond the breaking points.