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Farmers’ unrest puts Modi government in a tight spot

Published

7 years ago

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Debt is just one aspect, farming is almost a terminal disease in India

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Problem revolves around increase in production and fall in prices

Parsa Venkateshwar Rao Jr

New Delhi: There is a clear recognition on the part of the BJP-led NDA government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi that it is caught in a cleft as it were, and there is not much it can do about the farmers’ protests that have broken out in Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Telangana. Political opponents are not being blamed for the problem, and there is an acknowledgement that there the farmers’ anger stems from a crisis situation, which ironically is an outcome of increased production.

Here is what a highly placed sources in the government told APN Live, on condition of anonymity. It is being conceded from concerned quarters that the farmers’ agitation in Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka is arising from a plentiful crop looking for reasonable returns. Farmers are angry and frustrated because they are not getting the price they need to recoup costs because of overproduction, whether pulses, oilseeds or onions. Prices have nosedived in the market, partly aggravated by imports as in the case of pulses from countries like Myanmar, Mozambique and Canada.

It has been indicated that imports are being rationalised but the government is not in a position to put a stop to imports in order to shore up domestic prices of pulses. Though production in pulses has improved, touching a high of 18 million tonnes, it still falls below the consumption needs, which stands at around 23 million tonnes. It is also the case that government cannot procure the entire produce because it is economically and logistically unfeasible though farmers want that government buy up the entire produce.

The increase in the production of pulses and other non-cereal crops is being seen as a success by the government because the policy has been towards crop diversification. It is being claimed that it is because of incentives including that of an attractive minimum support price that more farmers have taken to non-cereal crops.

The government is however working on long-term strategy. It wants to provide storage facilities so that the farmer can keep his produce in safe condition and sell it in the market at an opportune time. This is more so in the case of onions. To avert the disaster of onions rotting because they could not be sold, government with the help of the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) is working at the process of irradiating onions, which will suck out the moisture, and preserve it for a longer period. In the case of onions too, storage turns out to be a key factor though the technological intervention of using radiation to preserve them is helpful.

It is being conceded that infrastructure cannot be created overnight and that it takes time. Here too, there is no attempt to blame the previous government for not having done enough about infrastructure. Modi government is grappling with the actual problems of governance.

When it was suggested that one way out of the production glut of onions would be to allow exports, and this was the demand of the farmers as well, Prime Minister Narendra Modi felt that the export incentive would benefit the traders rather than the farmers. The farmers however wanted to dispose of their crop whatever the loss.

It has also been accepted that real time information about acreage for any crop is not available and that this makes it difficult to make reasonable estimates of output and tweak the MSP as well as imports accordingly.

Rationalising imports is causing embarrassment with countries like Canada in the case of pulses and with Malaysia and Indonesia in the case of palm oil. Government is now insisting on import of raw palm oil so that value-addition through refinement and its use in cosmetics could lead to job creation in the country.

The same argument seems to hold good in the case of crude oil imports. Government is happy about increase in imports because that would help in creating jobs in petroleum products and by-products, which in turn lead to exports apart from creating jobs.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

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Rahul Gandhi writes to Karnataka CM over Prajwal Revanna sex scandal, urges him to provide utmost assistance to the victims

Gandhi requested Siddaramaiah to kindly extend all possible support to the victims. He wrote that everyone has a collective duty to ensure that all parties responsible for these heinous crimes are brought to book.

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23 mins ago

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May 4, 2024

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Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday wrote to Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah regarding JD(S) leader Prajwal Revanna sex scandal. In his letter, Gandhi condemned the actions of Revanna and requested the Karnataka Chief Minister to extend all possible support to the sexually harassed women.

Gandhi requested Siddaramaiah to kindly extend all possible support to the victims. He wrote that everyone has a collective duty to ensure that all parties responsible for these heinous crimes are brought to book. The Wayanad MP further added that many who looked up to him as a brother and son have been brutalised in the most violent manner and they have been robbed of their dignity. He said the rape of our mothers and sisters warrants the strictest possible punishment.

Rahul Gandhi was shocked to know that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had been campaigning for the Hassan MP inspite of the fact the gruesome allegations had been brought to the notice of Union Home Minister Amit Shah in December 2023.

The Congress leader mentioned in his letter that he is deeply shocked to learn that as far back as December 2023, India’s Home Minister Amit Shah had been informed by G Devaraje Gowda about Prajwal Revanna’s antecedants and his history of sexual violence and the presence of sex videos filmed by him.

Gandhi wrote in his letter to Siddaramaiah that what is even more shocking is that despite these gruesome allegations being brought to the notice of the senior-most BJP leadership, the Prime Minister campaigned and canvassed for a mass rapist.

 The Wayanad MP took a veiled attack on PM Modi and said he has never come across a senior public representative who has constantly chosen silence in the face of untold violence against women. Gandhi further pointed out that from the female wrestlers in Haryana to sisters in Manipur, Indian women are bearing the brunt of the Prime Minister’s tacit support for such criminals.

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2024 Lok Sabha Elections

PM Modi raises national security pitch to attack Congress, says Pakistan now weeping and screaming for help under BJP rule

Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed a massive gathering in Palamu, Jharkhand, where he highlighted the achievements of his government and warned against the dangers posed by the Congress and its allies

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2 hours ago

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May 4, 2024

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday made a scathing attack on the Congress over national security and said the grand old party is a coward as its government used to weep on global platforms after terrorist attacks. The prime minister was addressing a rally in Jharkhand’s Palamu where he said the situation has changed under the BJP rule and Pakistan is now weeping and screaming for help.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed a massive gathering in Palamu, Jharkhand, where he highlighted the achievements of his government and warned against the dangers posed by the Congress and its allies. Speaking to the enthusiastic crowd, PM Modi emphasized the significance of each vote and the transformative impact it can have on the nation.

He took a veiled dig at Rahul Gandhi and said Pakistani leaders, shaken by surgical strikes, are praying for shahzada to become the next Prime Minister. But a strong India wants a strong government. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s attack on Rahul Gandhi comes days after a former minister in Imran Khan’s Cabinet in Pakistan, Chaudhry Fawad Hussain, shared a video which featured the Congress leader on his social media handle and praised him for attacking the BJP.

PM Modi trained his guns on the ruling alliance in Jharkhand and said corrupt JMM and Congress leaders have amassed huge wealth for their children. He further added that he did not own a home or even a bicycle. There is no blot of corruption on him in the past 25 years as chief minister and prime minister. Earlier while speaking in Sabarkantha, PM Modi said the BJP government has been consistently taking strong action against terrorism across the Pakistan border in comparison to weak governments in the past.

The Prime Minister said terrorists used to come to India and carry out attacks. The weak government during that time used to send dossiers. He further added that today’s new India does not send dossiers, it gives dose to terrorists.

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2024 Lok Sabha Elections

PM Modi takes a dig at Rahul Gandhi after Congress picks him for Raebareli, says daro mat, bhago mat

PM Modi, speaking at a Lok Sabha election rally in Bengal, said both Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi had fled their constituencies.

Published

1 day ago

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May 3, 2024

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi today commented for the first time to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s announcement of his candidacy for the Raebareli seat. Rahul is making his way towards Raebareli because he is afraid of Amethi seat, according to the PM.

The Prime Minister sneered as he said at a rally in Bengal that today he also want to tell him, Daro Mat (don’t be afraid), Bhaago Mat (don’t run).

Rahul Gandhi has often said, Daro Mat while accusing the BJP government of using investigaticve agencies to terrorise critics and political opponents.

According to Prime Minister Modi, there is no need for an exit poll or opinion survey because Congress would lose by a greater margin than the previous time.

Their tallest leader did not have the guts to fight the polls in Raebareli, Prime Minister Modi added, making reference to Sonia Gandhi. She went away and joined the Rajya Sabha in Rajasthan.

The PM reffered Rahul Gandhi as Shehzaada and said he would lose Wayanad, as he has predicted. He was searching for a second seat because of this. Also, their supporters said that he would battle from Amethi. However, PM Modi said, he is so afraid that he ran to Raebareli to find a way out.

Additionally, he claimed that the I.N.D.I.A bloc is only committed to the voting base of a specific locality.

Speaking out against the TMC and the Left-Congress allience in Bengal, Prime Minister Modi claimed he was not afraid since he had overcome poverty. Getting scared is not in his dictionary. He is determined to work for the country, he said.

Meanwhile, the Amethi-Raebareli decision was attacked by a number of BJP leaders, who claimed it was obvious that Rahul Gandhi knew he couldn’t win Amethi, where Smriti Irani is contesting again following her stunning success in the previous Lok Sabha election.

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