Prafulla Samantara
The farmers of Odisha are in the crises of existence. The fundamental problem is that the farming has become a heavy burden. First they do not get minimum support price of agricultural products. Even there is no organized mechanism to procure paddy for which majority of farmers have to go for distress sale.
The other problem is that there are majority of farmers belong the share cropper who are deprived of getting any governmental facilities and compensations. Even they are not eligible to get bank loan and do not get governmental benefits. Most of farmers who suicide are from share cropers. There fore it is one of demands to have a law for protection of share croping farmers by the govt. of Odisha. The mass rally of farmers under the banner of Odisha Krushak Sangathan Samanwaya samiti at Bhubaneswar 30.10.2017, October 2017 could unit farmers of every corner of Odisha for which the western Odisha Krushak Sangathan Samanwaya Samiti played a great role having continues struggle since 15 years.
The rally called an the Central Government to implement M.S Swaminathan committee’s recommendations in which the minimum support price be one and half of cost of production. For one time all the farmers be liberated from loan burden. There must be a pension not less than Rs. 5000/- per month. And the state government should bring a legislation to make a law to protect the share cropper farmers. It is matter of regret that neither the state govt. nor the central govt. does not admit the reality of farmer’s suicide as a consequences of loss of crops and heavy loan.
More than 8000 farmers including women participated in the rally addressed by the leaders like yosendra yadav, Sunilam, Hannan mullah , Abhisek saha of the central krushak Sangharsha samiti samanwaya. The rally was lead by Lingaraj, Ashok pradhan, Prafulla Samantara, Saroj Mohanty and many others.
The main cause of farmer’s suicide is that the crisis ridden farming has no support of the state which serves the interest of corporates at the cost of farming community. The present development model is to reduce agriculture to a very low profession pushing farmers to non-identity . If the central government stops to give tax concession of rupees 5 lakh to the corportes in every annual budget since 2008, the revenue to be collected can be allotted to the farmers for which with in 5 years, there can be healthy and sustainable agriculture with socio-economic protection of the farmers. Thus there will be no suicide as the last resort of frustrated farmers.
The Author is an International Award Winner Social Activist of India.
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