Desert blues

It has been a long summer for Anirudh Meena. The farmer from Kota in Rajasthan is still waiting for the government to financially compensate his brother Hukumchand Meena’s family. A garlic farmer, Humukchand took his life in May, after the price of the bulb came crashing down, leading to heavy financial losses that he could not deal with.

“The government promised that his family would be given some compensation. But we haven’t got anything so far,” says Anirudh.

For thousands of farmers like the Meena brothers, these are financially crippling times. And their despair was the leit motif in the state Assembly elections in Rajasthan. More than Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, it is in this desert state that the ruling BJP faces its toughest battle. The dominant farming communities have directed their anger and helplessness over agriculture issues into political assertion. Unlike in MP and Chhattisgarh, peasant movements in Rajasthan have been traditionally strong; the state has produced in the past towering peasant leaders such as Ram Niwas Mirdha, who articulated farmers’ concerns with greater impact than their counterparts in the neighbouring states.

The anger is once again palpable in the state. At least 12 garlic farmers killed themselves in the Kota region alone in recent months. The ruling BJP has been battling a rising tide of farmers’ protests against the agriculture policies of the Raje government.

Farmers’ suicides are a new phenomenon in Rajasthan. The first deaths were reported in 2014 after hailstorms damaged crops in the state. Farmers killed themselves in 2016-17 and 2017-18 because of the plummeting garlic prices. “It is the policy of the government that has forced the garlic farmers to commit suicide. When there was a bumper crop, the government announced the import of garlic. Naturally, prices went down, putting pressure on farmers,” says MS Rathore, a retired professor from the Institute of Development Studies, Jaipur.

Pulses, oil seeds and millets have been the favoured crops in Rajasthan. “For oil seeds, they have a steady market as (the) Adani (Group) procures 70 per cent of the produce. But in the case of garlic, they don’t have such a market,” adds Rathore.

Agriculture is the mainstay for about 80 per cent of the people in the state. After the green revolution and the expansion of irrigation, farmers turned to rabi crops such as wheat and paddy. Just about 20 per cent of the state is irrigated, yet it is one of the largest contributors to the country’s grain store. Rajasthan farmers also diversify crops because farming is unpredictable in the state.

In the Kota division alone, about 13 lakh hectares are farmed. Wheat, paddy, mustard, soya bean and pulses are the main crops. But the growers are forced to sell their crop at rates that are far below the Minimum Support Price (MSP) set by the government because of the erratic procurement process. “A farmer has to wait for months to get the government to buy produce at the MSP rate. If you are ready to wait, you will get good prices. Those who have commitments, such as loans from private financiers, have no other option than to sell their crop at the price the market offers. This is much lower than the MSP,” says Bajrang Singh, a farmer from Jhalawar.

Kota’s Bhamashah mandi is one of the largest food grain markets in Asia. On an average, it sees the arrival of 100,000 quintals of wheat a day. “We have urged the government to expand the mandi so that more farmers can benefit from it. Also, we need more industries to process garlic and soya bean,” says Mahesh Khandelwal, a trader.

Farmers’ associations have also been demanding industrialisation in tune with agriculture. “We need small cottage industries to add value to our products. Farmers should not be left at the mercy of the corporate houses that control the market,” says Dasharath Kumar, a farmers’ union leader.

The story is similar in Rajasthan’s tribal belt near Udaipur. “The only thing that can be grown in this region is grass. The land is dry and there are no traces of water. Unless the government makes some arrangements for irrigation, we won’t be able to survive here,” says Akraji, a 70-year-old farmer near Jhadol. “The government should announce policies for land use and water use. If these two policies are drafted with the involvement of experts, the crisis in agriculture sector in Rajasthan can be taken care of,” adds Rathore.

Through the election campaign, the litany of demands was voiced loud and clear. The voter has other issues — such as unemployment — to ponder over. But the despair in the air — and on the ground — is largely over agriculture. Anirudh Meena knows which way he is going to vote.

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