It is only the other day that Prime Minister Narendra Modi came out blaming the Left for the farmers’ agitation. He said the Left in Kerala has gone to Punjab and is playing politics there. Saying what the Left is doing is event management, he asked why the farmers in Bengal are not agitating. The prime minister through such cheap statements have only established that he is the agent of monopolies.

His another query is why the Left Democratic Front (LDF) government has not set up Agricultural Produce Market Committees (APMCs) and Mandis in Kerala. This is very relevant. It is the same question Kerala wants to ask him. The prime minister should deeply ponder why states including Kerala do not have APMC Act. When the APMC Act was passed by the central government in 2003, every state was given the right to decide on whether the Act should be implemented in the state or not. Since agriculture is in the concurrent list, the then central government allowed the states to decide on the implementation. Not only Kerala, Manipur, Bihar, Jammu and Kashmir and other states did not implement the Act then.

Now the central government has unilaterally made a law on a subject in a state list and forcing the states and pressurizing the officials to implement the Act. This is out and out against the Constitution and a challenge to our federal structure. Kerala decided not to have APMC Act based on many reasons. There is no need for Kerala to have Minimum Support Price under the Act for agricultural products nor markets and mandis, as only paddy, copra (dry coconut) are included in the support price list.

Unlike other states Kerala has local mechanism from down level to procure agricultural products. In all the 14 districts there are strong set ups to procure paddy. The state government agency, Kerala State Civil Supplies Corporation, (SUPPLYCO) is procuring paddy paying the MSP prescribed by the central government. Over and above about the MSP, the state government is giving as production incentive Rs 9.23 per kg. Kerala, thus, is the only state that procures paddy from the field itself at Rs 27.48 per kg. Thus, Kerala pays the highest procurement price in the country. For direct procurement of fruits and vegetables from the farmers even without APMC, there are 1,883 procurement-marketing-agri-mandis under the state agricultural ministry.

Another important aspect is regarding copra (dry coconut) procurement in the state. In Kerala, the sale of raw coconuts turned into copras is a rare practice. Instead, raw coconuts are being procured. Since the days of previous government whenever the price of raw coconuts fell, the government procured raw coconuts instead of copra. Despite repeated demands to bring raw coconut price under the MSP, the central government never did so. It is only later that, the state government started procuring raw coconuts by paying Rs 27 per kg. Around 900 co-operative setups and Krishi Bhavans under KERAFED are procuring the raw coconuts. Whenever, the price of raw coconut falls below Rs 27 per kg there is arrangement for procurement.

Also, Kerala did not implement APMC Act because the state does not produce any of the 27 items in the central government list of agricultural products. The production and marketing of the main crops in Kerala mainly rubber, pepper, cardamom and other spices, cash crops like coffee, tea are controlled by many central Acts. Rubber Board, Spices Board, Coffee Board, Tea Board and other central institutions are controlling the marketing and export of these products through Rubber Act of 1947, Cardamom Act of 1965, Spices Board Act of 1986 and Tea Board Act. The prime minister without realising all the above aspects is asking why Kerala has not implemented APMC Act.

BJP spokespersons are propagating that in Kerala, there is no agitation against the black agri-laws passed unilaterally by the central government as is happening at the national level and the Kerala Left leaders instead are going to Delhi and Punjab to agitate. But all the district centres in Kerala are witnessing militant protests against the central government’s anti-farmer agri-laws. Various organisations and farmers’ groups have already come out extending solidarity and support to the farmers’ agitation. Indefinite sit-in agitations have already begun on December 23 at the district centres under the leadership of United Farmers’ Front. The chief minister himself had inaugurated the protest in the state capital. I recall how the pine apple growing farmers in the state have sent 20 tonnes of pine apple to the agitating fighters expressing their solidarity with them. Thousands of people also have come out in support of the farmers’ demands.

At the same time, as far as Kerala farmers are concerned, they know very well that the state government is with them. During this period, the Left and Democratic Front (LDF) state government has evaded many laws for the welfare of farmers and implementing them successfully. The prime minister is claiming with all publicity that the central government will distribute Rs 18,000 crore to nine crore farmers in the country under PM-Kisan Samman Nidhi. As per the scheme, Rs 6,000 will be given to a farmer annually. But Kerala is the lone state that gives to all farmers above the age of 60 Rs 1,500 as monthly pension. Thus, when the central government is giving Rs 6,000 annually, the state government is giving as pension Rs 18,000. Kerala has already started a scheme with the setting up of Farmers’ Welfare Board to ensure that all farmers as they reach 60 years of age will get Rs 3,000-5,000 as pension.

Local BJP leaders are spreading lies that the central government’s agri-laws are not going to affect Kerala. Not only APMC Act, contract farming law and essential commodities law are interlinked ones. All these laws are hurriedly made only to help monopoly giants and multi-national corporations.

Once the main cash crops like coffee, tea, etc, come under the grip of the corporates, the farmers in these segments will face a great challenge. Corporate tycoons are robbing the country by bringing to power a government that protects their interests, creating an opportunity for their continuing in power and by getting enacted laws that favour them. The central government, instead of being protector of the corporates, should have a broad aim and perspective to protect the interests of the farmers, general masses and poor sections of people. The best path for the central government is as the agitating farmers have demanded to repeal the three black laws. In its place, the Modi government should not, through lies and false propaganda, defame the farmers’ agitation, try to defeat the peoples’ sentiments. The reason is it is the question of life and death of Indian people. (IPA Service)