Why should Indian agriculture be liberalised when in most countries governments subsidise it? By Christophe Jaffrelot , Hemal Thakker

By Dilip -

On September 27, President Ram Nath Kovind gave his assent to three contentious farm bills passed by Parliament — The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020 (FAPAFS), the Farmers Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020 (FPTC) and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020 (EC). These bills were passed by the Rajya Sabha with a voice vote in spite of the Opposition asking for a recorded division of the votes.

Listen to this kisan's views on the Modi Government

Essentially changing the rules around sale, storage and pricing of farm produce, the bills will permit private buyers to hoard essential commodities for future sales, which only government-authorised agents could do earlier, along with changing the rules for contract farming. The bills have been touted as a watershed moment for Indian agriculture by the Prime Minister, as the government claims that the reforms would remove the shackles from the agriculture sector and free farmers from the stranglehold of middlemen by creating one market. 

However, farmers’ unions and groups have concerns about two major issues:...

https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/farm-bills-protets-indian-agriculture-sector-7078237/

Bharat Bhushan: Short of answers or assurances; Govt unable to handle farmer protests

'The law related to Agricultural Produce marketing is a death warrant' / P Sainath: Farm Bills Will Create a Vacuum That May Result in Utter Chaos

Vijender Singh to return Khel Ratna if protesting farmers’ demands not met // Farmers respond: Farmer Protests Delhi | किसान आंदोलन & Godi Media

Winds from Punjab: By Pratap Bhanu Mehta

Thousands of protesting farmers enter Delhi defying water cannon and police crackdown

Alessandra Mezzadri: Informal labour, the majority world and the need for inclusive theories and politics


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