PR ENGLISH SHORTHAND DICTATIONS: ENGLISH SHORTHAND DICTATION-225

Sir, yesterday I had given a notice for Calling Attention Motion on the three black farm laws and the ongoing farmers' agitation for the last nine to ten months. Today I find that my name is shown against Short Duration Discussion. My Calling Attention Motion has been converted into a Short Duration Discussion and the Short Duration Discussion is on a general topic of 'Agricultural Problems and Solutions' whereas my Calling Attention was on the repeal of the farm laws and the ongoing farmers' agitation. Sir, please listen to your own ruling at page 49 which says that a Calling Attention Motion can be converted into a Short Duration Discussion after a complete sense of the House is taken.¹²⁰ No sense of the House has been taken. This is completely unilateral and this is not acceptable to me.

Sir, I was¹⁴⁰ (1) in a dilemma whether to participate in this discussion or not. Most of the Opposition parties have¹⁶⁰ decided not to participate in this discussion. Finally, I thought that if I missed any opportunity in this House to discuss about the problems of farmers, the problems that the farm sector is facing now, then I will do a crime against the farmers of this country. Therefore, my party and myself decided to participate in the discussion, to highlight the problems of farmers, to highlight the defects in the agricultural Bills passed recently, to highlight the problems faced by²⁴⁰ lakhs and crores of farmers now. Therefore, Sir, on behalf of my party, I am participating in this discussion. I will highlight some of the problems.

The hon. Prime Minister always feels that his Government is for the development of the poor.²⁸⁰ He always says that his Government is for the development of (2) the poor. The poor people are the farmers, the landless farmers and the farm labourers of the country. They are the poor people of the country.³²⁰ I wonder why there is so much shouting when this Government is committed for their uplift. I am not describing who is responsible. Those who are shouting here have ruled this country for more than 60 years. Sir, agriculture³⁶⁰ accounts for 60 per cent of rural India. It amounts to 60 per cent of our population. It provides employment to almost 60 per cent of our population. Our agricultural production has increased. We have gone through the First Green Revolution and the Second Green Revolution. Our agricultural production has increased. But what has not increased is the income of farmers. Farmers have been⁴²⁰ able to increase their produce, but the Government has failed in increasing the income of the farmers. That is the plight the farmers are facing. Sir, this Government had made a (3) commitment in 2014. It was an election manifesto of the BJP that after coming to power, within five or six years, they will double⁴⁸⁰ the income of the farmers. Sir, you will be astonished to know that as per the Situation Assessment Survey of Agricultural Households conducted by the National Sample Survey Organisation in 2013, the average monthly income of farmers was around Rs. 6400 only. A study conducted by the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development in 2016-17 says that the income of the farmers has been increased only to Rs. 8900 during the last five years. This has not been doubled. The last survey made⁵⁶⁰ by the National Sample Survey Organisation about income of the farmers was in 2013. In the last 8 years, the National Sample Survey Organisation has not made any study and the Government claims that they have⁶⁰⁰ been able to double the income of the farmers. It is a misnomer. It is not (4) the fact. This is not the reality. Sir, in fact, if you adjust the increase against inflation, the farm income remains static or⁶⁴⁰ even shows a decline over the last several years. So, it is not a true statement that the farmer's income has been doubled. Most of the farmers in our country are marginal farmers. They are small land holders. Whenever we talk of the farmers, we are just worried about a couple of rich farmers. They are not the representatives of real farmers in the country.⁷⁰⁰ I say that the majority of the farmers in this country are small farmers,⁷²⁰ landless farmers, marginal farmers. They are not the rich farmers. So, whenever we check about the farmers, it is the basic responsibility of the Government to first take into consideration the problems of the small farmers and marginal farmers. Sir, we all know that during the last pandemic, income in all sectors has come down. In industry, it (5) has come down; in trade and commerce, it has come down; so is the case in the service sector. It is⁸⁰⁰ only in the agricultural sector where the farmers of the country increased the income of the farm sector even during Corona times. That is the contribution of the farmers in this country. But they never bothered about the farmers. The Government is boasting⁸⁴⁰ about PM-Kisan Nidhi Scheme. One thing I would like to say is that the PM-Kisan Nidhi Scheme only covers 80 million farmers against the target of 140 million farmers in this country. The amount given to farmers under this scheme is only Rs. 6000 per annum.

Sir, we have discussed the report of Swaminathan Commission. Obviously, the recommendations of the Swaminathan Commission did not get implemented in spirit. Can this Government say with honesty that it has implemented the Swaminathan Commission Report? They are not implementing the Swaminathan Commission Report. That has been the demand of our party. (6) The Government should implement the Swaminathan Commission Report. You have passed the three farm Bills. You have not said a single line⁹⁶⁰ about the implementation of the Swaminathan Commission Report. You have not done it. So, it is a great injustice to the farmers.⁹⁸⁰ On one hand, we are claiming that we have doubled the income of the farmers; on the other hand, the rate of suicide of the farmers has increased. In this regard, I will mention a few data. Sir, the data of National Crime Records Bureau shows that in 2019, more than 42,000 farmers and daily wagers in farm sector committed suicide. It is six per cent more than that of the previous year. This is the plight of the farmers in the country. Why are the farmers committing suicide? There are many points to be mentioned¹⁰⁸⁰ about the plight of the farmers of this country but there is no atmosphere. Finally, I appeal to this (7) Government to be considerate towards the farmers.

Sir, it just took four minutes for the Lok Sabha to pass a bill that sought¹¹²⁰ to repeal the three controversial farm legislations which saw farmers mobilise at the Delhi borders for over a year. It is shocking, but not surprising, that the Government refused to heed the Opposition’s demand for a discussion in the House on the subject that had been debated extensively on different platforms across the nation. This is reminiscent of the manner in which the controversial laws were passed in Parliament in September 2020 without due consideration, as demanded¹²⁰⁰ by the Opposition. This led to deep distrust about the reforms itself in the society, particularly among a section of the farmer community. In fact, the obstinacy of the Government was a major reason why it failed to convince the protestors despite 11 rounds of talks and the intervention of the Supreme Court about crucial reforms.

The decision to repeal¹²⁶⁰ (8) the Acts was announced by Prime Minister in a televised address to the nation. But a televised address to¹²⁸⁰ the nation is no substitute for a detailed discussion in Parliament since these Acts had been passed by the House. Union ministers had hailed the Prime Minister’s climbdown as a great gesture in the national interest. But it was never explained as to what was against the national interest. So, what were the imperatives? Was the Government’s failure merely a case of miscommunication? What has been the outcome of similar reform measures in the States? Should the Centre henceforth let the States decide their own agriculture reform paths as per the demands of local political economy rather than push centralised solutions on a sector rich in diverse cultivation practices and markets? There is also the continuing demand among farmers for making¹⁴⁰⁰ the minimum support price a legal right, which raises several issues. (9) It also seems that even those who had opposed the farm laws agree that Indian agriculture is in a crisis and needs radical solutions. So, what is¹⁴⁴⁰ the way forward?

All these issues need vigorous debate in Parliament. By now the Government should know that agriculture is a deeply contested territory and policy-making in the sector calls for conversations across fences. In fact, the farming community itself has gone through a period of education and deep introspection about farm practices. Prime Minister is used to calling the Constitution a holy book and Parliament a temple. But his Government has been found wanting in living up to the letter and spirit of that holy book and has frequently used its electoral majority to impose its will on Parliament by suppressing the voice of Opposition and ignoring custom and procedure. Debates are the lifeline of Parliament. Their absence will diminish the institution.¹⁵⁶² (10)