-The Indian Express In the absence of patience and vision, the loan waiver remains the most favoured response to farm distress Thousands of farmers from different parts of India marched to Delhi on November 29-30 to register their protest against the Narendra Modi government’s perceived apathy and neglect of farmers’ demands. They were basically demanding three things: One, debate in Parliament to discuss farm distress; two, one-time loan waiver; and three,...
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Why small, Marginal Farmers get just 40% of total agri credit -Rajalakshmi Nirmal
-The Hindu Business Line Loan waivers have made banks wary of them; beneficiaries are farm infra/services firms Every year the Centre announces an increase in the agri credit limit, but not even half of this reaches small farmers. Small farmers typically take small loans — of less than Rs. 2 lakh. RBI data show that in FY17, the share of loans of Rs. 2 lakh or less was just 40 per cent of...
More »A tale of two States: the differing politics of rural Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan -Vikas Pathak
-The Hindu With farm distress becoming a major electoral issue in the run-up to the 2019 Lok Sabha election, Vikas Pathak visits two pockets of rural India, Mandsaur in Madhya Pradesh and Jodhpur district in Rajasthan, and finds that the political instincts of the rural voter are not necessarily rooted in agriculture. A few farmers sit huddled near a statue of Sardar Patel at Balaguda village in Mandsaur, Madhya Pradesh pouring out...
More »Why 2019 could be first Lok Sabha election to be fought on farmers' issues -Yogendra Yadav
-ThePrint.in Not BJP or Congress, farmers are setting their own agenda for 2019 elections. Has the farmers’ movement finally arrived at the centre stage of national politics in India? And, can 2019 be the first Lok Sabha election to be fought mainly on farmers’ issues? I asked myself these questions sitting at the stage of Kisan Mukti March at the Parliament Street last week. Tens of thousands of farmers from all over the...
More »Vijoo Krishnan, joint secretary of the All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS), interviewed by Payel Majumdar Upreti (The Hindu Business Line)
-The Hindu Business Line People from different spheres and strata of life joined farmers at the Kisan Mukti March in Delhi last month From scientists, artists and doctors to lawyers, retired jawans and students, thousands came together to support a march by farmers in Delhi last month. The November 29-30 Kisan Mukti March to Parliament, organised by The All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee (AIKSCC), an alliance of over 200 farmers’ organisations,...
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