Medha Patkar plans meet with CM Jagan to discuss tenant farmer issues

Vijayawada: The Rythu Swarajya Vedika (RSV) held the first ever public hearing on problems of AP’s tenant farmers in front of a People’s Jury of eminent citizens including activist Medha Patkar here on Wednesday.

The Vedika urged the government to modify the rules relating to tenant farmers. Tenant farmers from various districts participated in the event and highlighted their difficulties in obtaining Crop Cultivators Rights Cards (CCRC). In the absence of these cards, they are being excluded from all government support systems including crop loans, crop insurance, disaster relief and even the chance to sell their produce at the procurement centres at MSP, they have complained.

The People’s Jury consisted of Medha Patkar of the National Alliance of People’s Movements and a leader of the Samyukta Kisan Morcha, Vadde Sobhanadreeswara Rao, a former agriculture minister and PS Ajaykumar, an eminent socio-political activist campaigning for the rights of agricultural workers and adivasis.

RSV senior activist Kirankumar Vissa presented the findings of RSV’s landmark study. It extensively surveyed 4154 tenant farmers in 34 gram panchayats spread over 12 undivided districts of AP in 2022.

Medha Patkar said, “The food we eat today is produced by the efforts of tenant farmers. I was shocked to hear about the plight of tenant farmers here. Jagan Reddy's government should not limit itself to welfare schemes but also protect the rights of the people.”

She said, “The 30 lakh tenant farmers here should get access to all the schemes and avail their benefits as a matter of their right. By making the owner's signature as a requirement, the Crop Cultivators' Rights Act has become the Land Owner’s Rights Act. This is unacceptable.”

“Along with Rythu Swarajya Vedika and other farmers’ organisations, I would like to discuss the issues of tenant farmers with the chief minister. We plead that the chief minister take the special initiative to address the issues of tenant farmers,” Patkar said.

After hearing the multiple dimensions of the problems faced by tenant farmers, the People’s Jury advised the government to immediately provide these farmers with CCRC cards. “The government must ensure that all benefits of the government schemes for farmers must be given to the nearly 30 lakh tenant farmers as well,” the jury ruled.

The Jury sought changes in the CCRC Act and Rules, a visible campaign to convey to the land owners that there is no threat to their land ownership title, CCRC for government-leased land, modification of Rythu Bharosa guidelines, bank loans for tenant farmers and disaster compensation and crop insurance to these farmers.