Tag: waiver

  • Spirit of Mumbai: Farmers fed after 180 kms of walk in 6 days!

    Spirit of Mumbai: Farmers fed after 180 kms of walk in 6 days!

    We all heard about the farmer protest that is currently undergoing in Mumbai. The protest showcased events that are unprecedented. It leaves me in awe of the spirit of Mumbai and the farmers themselves. What a day it has been of twists and turns. It all started off with someone deciding to protest differently.

    So why are farmers and tribals protesting?

    Maharashtra farmers see successive droughts and are unable to make as much money as they should. They are in financial distress and are seeking financial relief. To save themselves from further droughts, they want to ensure that promises of river linking projects are implemented.

    Tribals who joined the protest are not looking to seek any financial help though! “Their participation in the agitation in such large numbers suggests a new edge in the countryside’s despair — while successive drought years, inequitable water management and pricing policies have seen a slow impoverishment of the farmer community everywhere in Maharashtra, the circumstances for the landless are ever more exacting” (reports Indian Express).

    The quintessential Maharashtra farmer is following a protest model from TN Farmers, who marched on in New Delhi last year. Tamil farmers raised slogans, shaved their half head and facial hair to protest their apathy. Mind you; the protest still did not gain the intended results. And farmers from UP got a loan waiver around the same time, based on a poll-promise by the Yogi government.

    I wrote about this briefly, after a Quint video brought forth a question: UP farm loan waiver, in a way, is funded by Tamilians based on how fragmented our taxation system is. I do not want to diverge from the topic; you can read more on that post.

    They decided to walk in the night, to avoid inconvenience to Mumbaikars!

    That’s where things started to change. The Government, instead of walking towards them, shamelessly requested the group to delay their march to avoid inconvenience to SSC and HSC students who are appearing for their exams. This was a bid for them to delay the political inconvenience they will face!

    However, the smart among them help decide that they would walk in the night, saving themselves from the scorching sun. And avoiding the fragile Mumbai infrastructure, often lamented, further trouble. This small gesture, and the smart thinking is downright awesome.

    The Spirit of Mumbai invoked!

    Wow! That was an incredible thought which touched Mumbaikars deeply. And Mumbaikar responded!

    I am amazed at the thought itself, and the speed with which Mumbai realized the importance of the farmers. I have often lamented the Spirit of Mumbai as something of an adjustment they do with their helplessness of the infrastructure (during floods mostly). However, the 2007 blasts and yesterday’s event highlight the spirit and how heartfelt they are.

    The farmer’s protest in huge numbers brings out Mumbaikars on the road, to be the Good Samaritan they always have been in crisis. Farmers are in crisis today, and the Spirit of Mumbai in invoked. Keep up Mumbai! The hands that feed deserve this small, but meaningful gesture.

  • Farm loans waiver frenzy across India – Analysis

    Farm loans waiver frenzy across India – Analysis

    Karnataka announced farm loan waivers amounting to Rs. 50,000 per farmer for loans from Cooperative Banks. Earlier, Punjab government announced waivers up to Rs. 2,00,000. Maharashtra Government waived off loans completely for small and marginal farmers. It all started with Tamil farmers protesting for waiver of loans, but they were in for a rude surprise when UP CM Yogi Adityanath announced waiver up to Rs. 1,00,000 for his state.

    Alright, let me clear out few things here before you read further:

    1. I am not against farmers getting financial assistance to help with their plight, caused by bad monsoon and drought.
    2. My analysis is based on what I have read in news, my own sources who know a few things in this matter and data available in public on our country’s finances.

    So why I am writing about it?

    You know, many of you who are reading this, pay taxes. Heavily at that. Income Tax at various slabs, and many more via indirect taxes on things that we consume. I pay a heavy amount as well, and it pinches me. It pinches me to think if I lose my job tomorrow, can my home loans be waived off? Or my personal loans?

    I can see many of you laughing. But ponder on it, and you will realize that things are not right with how India manages its own finances. These farmers likewise pay barely any taxes and whatever they pay is minuscule. Fair to them, they do not make hell a lot of money themselves. But their income taxation is not what is should be ideally. In this post, I am also talking about how much they themselves make for the hard work they put together.

    Idealists would have me plastered into wall for asking farmers to pay – but truly, anyone who makes money should pay taxes.

    It is true that farmers do not make enough, and you know it. You have heard it all around. So if a farmer, who puts his blood and sweat out to make food for us does not earn enough, who does?

    Farmer’s don’t fetch enough for their produce

    The middle men make the most of a farmer’s produce, and that is what is hurting farmers. They buy the produce at cut-throat prices, and sell it at almost 60% margin. You will hardly hear noise in media or elsewhere from these middle men on any major economic impact in this country. Should that not surprise anyone of us?

    Our economy being predominantly agrarian, it should not be difficult for a farmer to make more than enough money to survive his family with decent level of life. But truth is far from that. Very few farmers, who have do harvest a lot of crops and have diversified their farm bases make good amount of money. Small farmers do not. Wafer thin margins on their hard work ofter leave them poor.

    What should be done?

    To ensure the root of the evil is managed, government should review the process of farm produce being sold. Today we have government collection centers where produce is sold at market prices, however those centers are far off, centrally located.This prompts small farmers to approach middlemen.

    Monitor middlemen. It is easier said that done. Since majority of transaction happen with cash, there is no trace of purchase v/s selling price for farmer. Introducing a singular, digital mode of payment can ensure this is tracked and appropriate taxation can also be recovered that gets lost due to unrecorded transaction.

    And you, can try to procure more locally or from big malls that do buy produce direct from farmers.

    Help a farmer!