Nobel Prize winner Abhijit Banerjee spoke to NDTV about farm laws and the Covid pandemic
New Delhi:
The coronavirus pandemic is not a good time to have a conversation about farm laws, Nobel laureate Abhijit Banerjee told NDTV on Monday night, highlighting a “profound lack of trust” between farmers and the center as one of the reasons for the collapse of the talks.
Banerjee advised the center to temporarily revoke farm laws until the economy shows signs of recovery and a “parliamentary discussion” can be organized, primarily with farmers who fear the new laws will leave them at the mercy of corporate interests.
“I would say the pandemic is not a good time to have this conversation (about farm laws). The economy has contracted. People don’t know what will happen to farm prices … either in the world in the next few years. , or in India in particular. There is a feeling that the economy is in free fall. All these macroeconomic concerns feed back the insecurity of the people, “he said.
To a question about why the talks between the farmers and the center have so far failed (with the center unwilling to accept the farmers’ demand to withdraw the laws), Professor Banerjee listed two reasons.
“Part of the problem is that the government’s proposal is not fully detailed. Farmers think of a scenario where one or more companies demand them as a bailout. Whether or not that happens is anyone’s guess … but the proposal needs details. about how the government will deal with such eventualities. Will they promise to intervene in certain situations? “said Professor Banerjee.
“The other part is more serious. In general, I think there is a deep lack of trust and that is what continues to be articulated. It is not that they think, ‘Well, the government will eventually do well for us,'” he said. he said, adding, “And that’s not unreasonable.”
Professor Banerjee pointed to the clash between the center and the states over the payment of GST compensation, and said the center’s attempt to “suddenly cancel” its responsibilities did not help.
He also told NDTV that given the state of the economy due to the Covid pandemic, the center should consider temporarily withdrawing the laws.
“People feel insecure … and with a bumper harvest and a deficit in demand, this may be a good time for the government to say, ‘We heard you. We disagree, but we listened and we are going to withdraw this.’ “. until we have a parliamentary discussion, ‘”he said.
Thousands of Angry Farmers Protest Farm Laws; On Monday, the protests entered 19 consecutive days, with farmers on hunger strike and agitating outside district offices across India. Last week, farmers held a “Bharat bandh” and hundreds were camped around Delhi.
Several rounds of talks have failed. Farmers are not convinced of the center’s (many) assurances that MSPs and government grain purchases will continue and want the laws removed.
The center says it will only amend problematic sections and has accused the opposition and separatist elements disguised as farmers of engineering the protests.
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