#FarmBills2020 - Impulsive Take: 1. No. The stated objective of the Bills - creation of 'free market for agricultural goods' which will benefit the farmers - cannot be achieved with the legislations. 2. #DeMo , #GST , #ElectoralBonds , #20LacCrorePackage - none of it achieved.
3. As it turned out, all were an exercise in irrational policy decisions at best & sinister legislations at worst.
4. No. APMCs are not the 'mafia-dens' as they are being branded. APMCs play a vital role in India's unique agricultural marketing system.
5. There's NOT 1 farmer in India who's lost his money after selling his produce in APMCs.
6. The APMCs have powers to acquire & sell assets of Aratiyas, in case they fail to pay the farmers or fellow Aratiyas or traders.
7. As against this - incidences of farmers being cheated / defrauded by traders when the trades have happened outside of APMCs are in lacs.
[Ask Editor @SakalMediaNews Mr. @ShrimantManey ] - every year farmers are cheated of crores of rupees in Nashik district alone.
8. A farmer being defrauded by traders [in cases where the trade happens outside of APMC] has to take recourse to the common law. Police, Courts etc etc. Seldom does he get his money back or justice.
In APMCs - his money is safe. 9. The Bills do not address this fundamental issue
10. The APMCs are melting pots. Farmers from surrounding villages get valuable lessons - in agriculture, politics and democracy.
11. APMCs are the first destination for a person who has established himself in politics at village level.
Get the drift ??
12. APMCs are need of further reforms - not culling.
13. The lacs of crores that are being poured into India by foreigners are neither for charity nor for improving the lot of Indian farmers.
Its' a 200 Billion USD market that's attracting the money
14. If the friendly neighbourhood Aratiya in APMC [often with a few lacs or a few crores at his disposal] can be slandered as a culprit of exploiting farmers - imagine what the moneybags - who can pour billions of dollars - can achieve.
15. Visit an APMC to understand the working. It's an open system where bids are made by the purchasers & the Aratiya shouts the bids at the top of his voice. Farmers are present collectively. Transparency, at its finest. 16. To replace it with private contracts is sordid
17. Experiences of farmers with the existing contracts with big corporate do not inspire confidence.
18. Refer to my earlier thread where I narrated the story of how an irrigation company fleeced dealers & farmers. Hundreds of court cases in the said instance hv clogged Courts
19. Finally, in the existing system - the difference between farm to fork - is pocketed by a number of intermediaries. They are US. Our neighbours, our family, our friends, fellow citizens.
They spend the earnings in our own country. It helps the economy.
In the new system - the difference between farm to fork will be pocketed by foreign moneybags with a few crumbs thrown at our politicians & desi moneybags.
Here's a small incident to show how privilege works in India :
The son hasn't enrolled in #Aadhaar .
His College's Administration staff (one of the most prominent in Mumbai) told him :- either you'll have to enroll or forget about sitting for the Std XII Boards exam.
The 17 was made to stand outside the Admin block when he was trying to reason with the In-charge that Aadhaar is not mandatory for attempting Std XII exams.
Mr. Dubey, the all knowing God of Admin was pretty harsh to him.
Dubey: "Kya tum Indian citizen nahi ho"?
"Thumne ab tak #Aadhaar kyun nahi banaya"?
"Kya tum Pakistani ho"?
The 17 kept his cool. (He could have smashed Dubey ji to a pulp w/o consequences).
He : Sir, I don't have #Aadhaar & I'm not planning to get one. If you have any Circular from the Board, please share.
Have I understood it correctly?
On #PMLA SC has said : declaration by Parliament, ipso facto, satisfies the 'test' of compelling State interest.
Does that leave room for judicial scrutiny of a Law as all of them are passed / declared by the Parliament. Often, w/o debate.
More shocking is pulling up directive principles in support of upholding sections that are inversion of justice and due process.
Mind boggling is citation of State's obligation to prevent concentration of wealth in a few hands to justify draconian powers of arrest & detention.
SC completely missed the fact that ED's powers have actually been used by the State to concentrate wealth in a few hands - case in point - Mumbai Airport came to Adani only after ED booked GVK Group under PMLA.
That GVK owners weren't arrested can be attributed to sale to Adani
The least that's expected of a ruling dispensation is that it will not mislead the Parliament.
Mumbai has 5 Benches of NCLT.
Bench 1 & 2 are presided by the same members. Bench 1 in the morning session - from 11 AM to 2 PM & Bench 2 in post lunch - 3 PM to 4.30 PM
First up : fresh matters are taken up as Supplimentary board. Here, at the most, notices are issued. Zero adjudication.
Then, 1 or 2 heavy duty cases are heard where Sr. Counsels make never-ending arguments to end the session on being adjourned to some other day.
Other lawyers are given fresh dates and are expected to be glued to their screens on such adjourned dates for 2-3 hours - only to be given further fresh dates.
The funny (sic) part is - it's been happening for over a year now.
Minister @smritiirani takes to social media and makes all of us, lesser mortals, know that she's 'proud' of her daughter's achievement i.e. the restaurant.
Kahani mein twist:
A Goa based Adv finds out through RTI that the restaurant's liquor license stands in a dead man's name
A day spent in Malegaon: 1. The textile industry is in doldrums. The powerloom factories are working only for 3-4 days a week. Massive under costing. Losses per meter of cloth production are Rs.1 to 3 .
Same with cotton yarn prices. Despite 30 to 40 per kg fall- sales r subdued
It's a situation where cotton spinning mills of Tamil Nadu are making huge losses. Again, despite a steep fall in cotton prices.
Perils of non-existent demand.
India's economy is facing massive demand constraints. Exports are contracting.
Burrre din.
Let's talk about agriculture:
Indian government has screwed farmers, especially, cotton farmers by premature declaration of arrival of monsoon in Kerala in May end.
When it rained on 8-9th June - farmers thought it to be a regular monsoon.
They sowed cotton.