Mudda (debate show)

Farmers’ protests sure to impact coming elections

Published

8 years ago

June 1, 2018

Farmers’ protests sure to impact coming elections

Mudda discusses nationwide stir, its causes and ways to resolve the crisis, speaker wonders if discontent impacted results in Kairana

Friday’s edition of Mudda discussed the nationwide farmers’ protests which is to commence from June 1

The show was anchored by Anant Tyagi. The panellists were Rakesh Singh from BJP, Kisan Shakti Sangh President Chaudhary Pushpendra Singh, economist Sharad Kohli, Congress spokesperson Raju Waghmare and APN Consulting Editor Govind Pant Raju.

At a time when the BJP had not recovered from the shock of the election results of 4 Lok Sabha and 10 Vidhan Sabha seats, comes another shock for the ruling party—the farmers of the country have decided to go on a ten-day protest from June 1 to June 10. The protests would be conducted in seven states with the Rashtriya Kisan Mahasangh—a group of 130 farmers’ organisation going on strike. Madhya Pradesh would be the centre of the agitation with protests being conducted in 10 places in the state, four places in Haryana, eight in Maharashtra, two in Karnataka, one each in Kerala and Jammu & Kashmir.

The protests are likely to affect the supply of milk, fruits and vegetables. The farmers are demanding for a complete nation-wide loan waiver, ensured income for small farmers, apt minimum support price for milk, fruits vegetables and other produces. The ten-day protest would be divided into phases. The first phase would include paying tribute to the farmers on June 6, who died in the police firing in Mandsaur district of Madhya Pradesh last year. In the second phase, June 8^th will be observed as Kisan Asahyog Diwas and in the third phase farmers will call for a nationwide strike till 2 pm on June 10.

Chaudhary Pushpendra Singh explained the reasons behind the farmers’ agitation. Farmers not getting fair price for their produce was the main reason behind the protests, said Singh. He said that the farmers had no complaints with the consumers in cities as they were buying the produces at ten times their actual rate but the whole crisis was due to the middlemen— a problem which no government has been able to tackle in the past 70 years. “Moreover, this government had promised in their 2014 manifesto that they will set the MSP at 1.50 times the cost of the produce. This promise was not delivered and the economic survey released last year revealed that the income of the farmers has not increased in the past 4 years because of which the farmers are in debt,” said Singh.

Rakesh Singh alleged that although it was the farmers’ right to protest peacefully but many a times, the Opposition parties took mileage from such protests. He said that the farmers’ long march that took place in March was also a politically motivated agitation as the protest was called off in a day. He also said that the Mandsaur violence was a result of the Opposition’s interference.

To this Pushpendra Singh replied that the Opposition took advantage from the protest because BJP did not pay attention to the farmers’ demands. “The farmers wouldn’t have protested at the first place if the demands would have been met earlier,” said Singh.

Congress spokesperson said that it is due to the wrong policies of the government that the farmers are in distress. “There is surplus production but despite there being surplus produce, the government chose to import agro produces and it also reduced the import duty to zero, such policies are certain to backfire,” said Raju Waghmare.

—Compiled by Lilly Paul

Related Topics:Bharat Band Farmers Narendra Modi

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Mudda (debate show)

“Too much politics happening over corona in Delhi”

The Delhi chief minister’s decision was irresponsible, so it was overturned by the Lt Governor. Delhi belongs to everyone and such discrimination as Kejriwal proposed will not work. People know Kejriwal more for his wrong decisions than for any good work done by him

Published

6 years ago

June 9, 2020

Even as Covid-19 cases in the country have crossed over 2.5 lakh, a petty spat has erupted over the issue of hospital beds. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriewal said non-Delhi residents will not be able to access Delhi government healthcare for Covid-19, and Lt Governor Anil Baijal overruled the decision and ordered Delhi government hospitals to treat all patients. APN’s popular debate Mudda discussed the issue with BJP’s Anand Sahu, Congress’s Ajay Arora, AAP’s Vanshraj Dubey, political expert Niranjan Poddar and APN Editor Ajay Kaul.

Sahu said: “The Delhi chief minister’s decision was irresponsible, so it was overturned by the Lt Governor. Delhi belongs to everyone and such discrimination as Kejriwal proposed will not work. People know Kejriwal more for his wrong decisions than for any good work done by him.”

Vanshraj Dubey: “It was an expert team that had advised the Delhi CM in view of the likelihood of cases rising in the capital. Kejriwal has not taken any decision against the Centre’s orders.”

Arora said: “We are fighting a pandemic, the biggest battle-ever. These people are not bothered about Covid, they are looking at their vote-banks. They only want to enjoy power. BJP and AAP have turned Delhi into a football match, and the common man is getting ignored.”

Poddar said: “People get to see everything, and this petty politics has upset the people. All people want is safety and that their livelihoods and health should remain protected. Covid is spreading more in urban areas and not so much in rural areas. Delhi has around 2 crore people and therefore the number of Covid positive patients are rising. I don’t see anything wrong in Kejriwal’s decision to protect facilities for the people of Delhi. Politics is happening over Covid.”

Kaul said: “Discrimination of any kind is not good at all. Will a patient get his Aadhaar card, or should he look for relief when he comes to hospital?”

Dubey said: “Healthcare is free for the people of Delhi. In case there’s a serious case, the CM had already said he/she will not be denied government healthcare. Private hospitals are getting into black marketing of hospital beds.”

Kaul said: “Then Kejriwal should have made it all clear.”

Dubey said: “See if Delhi people do not get healthcare in Delhi, will they run to Ghaziabad? And will the UP government take such patients?”

Sahu said: “People will drive out AAP from Delhi.”

Arora said: “I agree with Kaul that the issue is why should people get discriminated for treatment. What if the child is a Delhi resident and parents are from Bihar? How will such a child get treatment for his patents in Delhi? Too much politics is happening over corona in Delhi.”

Dubey said: “See if patients want to take treatment in Delhi, there is nothing wrong in that. We have not challenged the Lt Governor’s decision. Problems arise when beds are scarce. Delhi will have its own budget, just like Haryana and UP also have.”

Poddar said: “Delhi has Delhi government hospitals, private hospitals and central government hospitals. Right now, inter-state traffic is limited. There are central government hospitals also where people can reach for healthcare. I am of the opinion there is nothing wrong in Delhi saving its facilities for its own people. Ambulances know where to take people.”

Mudda (debate show)

“Economy should be opened only gradually”

Economy will repair itself in time. But once lives are lost, they will not come back. Labour has gone back, so what good will we achieve by unlocking?”

Published

6 years ago

June 8, 2020

On the one hand, coronavirus cases are rising and on the other, the country is now on unclock mode. After 75 days, temples, restaurants and malls have opened at various places. APN’s popular debate Mudda discussed the issue with medical experts Dr Rahul Bharadwaj, Dr Yash Gulati, Dr AK Shukla and Dr Ankit Kumar Sinha, economist Dr Ashok Kaithal and APN Editor, Ajay Kaul.

Bharadwaj said: “Every day, corona cases are rising. We shall soon overtake the US. We need to ensure strict discipline at containment zones. What’s the rationale behind opening of temples and gurudwaras? Economy will repair itself in time. But once lives are lost, they will not come back. Labour has gone back, so what good will we achieve by unlocking?”

Dr Kaithal said: “We have not seen the desired result of the lockdown. Once lives are saved, economy will be saved. World economy is in bad shape, and can be opened only gradually, and slowly. Economy will be revived only after the manufacturing sector is opened.”

Dr Sinha said: “We have unlocked when the cases are rising. Over 50 to 70 percent patients are unable to access healthcare. We cannot stop corona. The government is more concerned about concealing the correct picture.”

Kaul said: “Economic activity has to be resumed. By having a further lockdown, corona will vanish. Till when can we suspend economic activity? Lockdown was supposed to put infrastructure in place, like PPEs, masks, hospital beds and so on. Opening of religious places is irrelevant, as that will not impact economy. Healthcare has failed India. Private hospitals are admitting patients selectively.”

Dr Bhargava said: “Lockdown was meant to ensure that the facilities match the demand, that we had enough beds and ventilators for the patients, because in the eventuality of an outburst, we cannot match the kind of healthcare strength that is needed. Lockdown was meant to flatten the curve. Corona is a pandemic. See, cancer patients will die if we do not have sufficient beds. Why was testing stopped in private labs? Did we visualize this kind of life that we will leave our old to die? Is this what we want? Where will middle-class people go?”

Dr Gulati said: “We are a poor country, and it’s important to focus our economy now. Corona cases are bound to rise. Luckily, our mortality rate is controlled. We cannot be left to die of hunger.”

Dr Kaithal said: “Cases are going up and the situation is frightening. We should revive the economy only gradually. Social distancing should be strictly enforced. Purchasing power of people needs to go up.”

Dr Sinha said: “I agree that we need to look into the economy now, but we should also focus on testing and contact tracing.”

Kaul said: “Lockdown was meant to strengthen the infrastructure. AIIMS chief Dr Guleria had said that in June cases are expected to peak, then why were we not prepared for that?”

Dr Shukla said: “It’s a respiratory virus. All will be affected in some way or the other. Use of masks and hand hygiene is important. It’s good that the economy has been opened but we must not take the precautionary measures lightly.”

Mudda (debate show)

“We need to focus on survival and revival”

Published

6 years ago

June 2, 2020

The government has approved the road map for implementing the micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), farmer and street vendor package that was announced earlier as part of the Rs 20 lakh crore stimulus to restart the economy. APN’s popular debate Mudda discussed the issue with economic experts Mukesh Mohan Gupta and Ajay Prakash, and UP Industrial Development Minister Satish Mahana.

Gupta said: “Challenges are being faced by all sectors, the reason being the global coronavirus pandemic. The new definition of MSME has broadened its scope. Moody’s has downgraded India’s rating, but that’s the same story with many other countries. In the US, there is unprecedented rioting happening, so that;’s no better. Manufacturing has been impacted here, so the rating will go down.”

Mahana said: “The Rs 20 lakh crore package is geared to instill confidence among the labour and industry stakeholders. See, the world is in the grip of an economic crisis, but PM Modi has been taking decisive steps. Unlock 1 will help to revive economic activities, and for that the consumer has to come in the market. No one can say how long Coronavirus will last. Under MNREGA, help has been reached out to the vulnerable sections… the effort is to go in for strong handholding. We have to focus on survival and revival. You just can’t look at industry for revival, agriculture also needs to be boosted, cash inflow has to be looked into. We are mapping the skills of the labour, and helping in matchmaking skills with needs. We will not leave any stone unturned in the interest of industry and the workers. Modi has been forward-looking and transparent, there is no room for corruption. We are looking at the opportunity behind the challenge. US is in the grip of a crisis. But a dialogue has been started with other countries. “Advantage UP” is being looked into in the fields of milk production, surface water, infrastructure, etc. We are focusing on Advantage UP and UP will be preferred state for investing in the country with ease of doing business. See, we are in a strong position, but the economic crisis is being faced globally, so how can we talk about our country alone? We have to focus on how to get out of the crisis.”

Prakash said: “India has huge numbers, but with no earning, demand has been low. We have been told 80 percent units have started work, but they are on 25 percent capacity. We are unable to utilize the capacity to the fullest because labour is away.”

Gupta said: “When sick, we can’t run, so how can we expect our economy to be normal. Demand is low, rating will be down. Cases are going up.”

Prakash said: “The Five Is pointed out by the PM– Intent, Inclusion, Investment, Infrastructure and Innovation are very important. Only the top 1 percent has been getting richer, now we need to broaden the base.”

Gupta said: “We need to think of local products to remain healthy.”

Prakash said: “We have the opportunity, but we need to act fast, we need labour reforms, tax systems, satisfaction has to be provided to the foreign investor. The desire is there to attract foreign investment but we have not been as fast as we should have been. At first, we need to get labour back, and restore the supply chain and value system, and check out competitor countries like Korea and some other south east Asian countries, we need to strengthen the base.”