New Delhi: Thousands of farmers held a rally in Delhi on Monday under the banner of the RSS-affiliated Bharatiya Kisan Sangh to press for a rollback of GST on agricultural goods and other demands, and threatened to intensify their protest if these were not met.
Braving cold conditions, the farmers travelled to Delhi from several states, including Punjab, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal, on tractors, motorcycles and private buses and took part in the “Kisan Garjana” rally at the Ramlila Maidan to seek relief measures.
The protesters were demanding a rollback of GST on farming activities, an increase in income support provided under the PM-Kisan scheme, revocation of permission for commercial production of genetically modified crops and remunerative prices for their produce based on the input cost.
Launched in December 2018, income support of Rs 6,000 per year in three equal installments is provided to all land-holding farmers’ families under the PM-Kisan scheme.
The BKS, in a statement, said: “The Central and state governments will face trouble if they do not heed the farmers’ demand in time”. BKS national general secretary Mohini Mohan said: “The promises made by the Prime Minister regarding the rights of farmers have proved to be empty.” He added: “The government promised an increase in the income of farmers, but this could not happen. Farmers are not beggars, they have the right to remunerative prices for their crops.” The farmer leader said the world’s largest farmers’ organisation “will roar and be vocal” if the government does not wake up in time.
Narendra Patidar from Madhya Pradesh’s Indore said the GST on farm machinery and pesticides should be removed. He said: “With the rising input cost and inflation, we don’t make any profit. The government should pay attention to our problems. GST shouldn’t be imposed on dairy farming either. How can someone run a family on Rs 6,000 or Rs 12,000 in the current situation?”
The farmers said they will intensify the protest if the government does not meet their demands within three months. “GST on farm machinery, pesticides and fertilisers should be removed. They have even imposed a five per cent tax on dairy farming for no reason. The Rs 6,000 under the Kisan Samman Nidhi are nothing but disrespect to farmers. It should be at least Rs 15,000,” said Dilip Kumar, another farmer from Madhya Pradesh.
Pramod from Maharashtra’s Raigad said the government imposes GST on
farmers and provides subsidies to companies. “They even charge GST on
seeds. Something should be done about it. The pension they provide is a joke. How can one sustain their family with just Rs 6,000? (Union agriculture minister) Narendra Singh Tomar said it will be increased to Rs 12,000, even that is not enough,” he said.
The protesters cited studies to say GM seeds are “harmful” to people and future generations and farmers won’t use them until the government provides them with reliable research data. In October, the government cleared the “environmental release” of a genetically modified (GM) variety of mustard. The “environmental release”, involving seed production and field testing, is the final step before commercial production of the crop by farmers.
The BKS said it ran a public awareness programme in over 60,000 villages in 560 districts across the country for four months before coming to Delhi. About 20,000 padayatras, 13,000 cycle tours and 18,000 meetings were organised in Telangana and Madhya Pradesh alone.
