RANCHI: On a day when the ruling alliance in Jharkhand and other non-NDA parties hit the streets to enforce a nationwide bandh in the state against the new farm laws, Ramesh Sahu (50) was busy harvesting vegetables at his three-acre field in Chiroundi under Kanke block in the outskirts of Ranchi on Tuesday morning while his kids were sorting them to ready the stocks for transportation to the local markets.
Unfettered about the agitation, Sahu’s entire focus was to finish off his work at the earliest to reach the nearby vegetable market. He feigned ignorance about the new farm laws, which has arguably led to a nationwide resentment among farmers, many of whom hail from states like Haryana, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh and are currently protesting along the Delhi borders for the last 13 days.
Sahu wasn’t alone. Several other farmers in this area seemed equally unconcerned about the protests and the bandh or the new farm laws and went about their business.
“If I start joining protests and dharnas who will take care of my crops? Earlier I reach the market, better the rate I get. More than grains, we need right prices for vegetables here as there is surplus produce in Jharkhand compared to paddy,” said Sahu. He also said lack of storage points keep farmers from getting a good price for their produce.
Ganesh Yadav, another farmer, who grows both paddy and vegetables, said unlike big farmers of progressive states, the situation in Jharkhand is different. “Here, majority of the farmers are small or marginal who are not capable of making huge investments. Most of the paddy produced here is only for self-consumption while vegetables are sold outside. We don’t understand the nitty-gritties of the new farms laws. All we need is a good price for our hard work, irrespective of the place we sell. The situation here is that leave aside the price, we don’t even manage to come at a break-even point largely because of infrastructural gaps,” he said, demanding a focus on creating assets to support farming and farmers.
Sumati Murmu, another farmer from the same area, said despite tall promises for MSPs, farmers hardly get benefit on the ground. “For us, instant money is the key. Selling at government procurement centres will only be helpful for us if we get immediate money or else we will miss out on the next cropping season,” she said.