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LUCKNOW l MONDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2020 l Pages 12 l 3.00 RNI NO. UPENG/2020/04393 l Vol 1 l Issue No.45 LEADERS’ LEADERVISHAL SRIVASTAV is metaphorical distinctiveness makes him stand out. But his re- lentless pursuit for excellence, is what makes Adityanath Yogi the man he is. The Monk, as they call him, hasn’t only been propelled as H people’s leader but more so as ‘leaders’ leader’. Once the youngest parliamentarian in the 12th Lok Sabha, Adityanath’s meteoric rise in the po- litical set up has bestowed the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) with yet another poster boy. His bold decision-making lets him lead from the front. Many states, at least those ruled by the Saffron party, look up to Uttar Pradesh for more than one reason now. Be it the ‘Love Jihad’ Law or the Anti Cow-Slaughter Act or the recent upstream of the party in Hyderabad polls, Yogi has got solution for most problems, if not all. Under his leadership, once backward, Uttar Pradesh has catapulted to top position in many sectors. Be it the WHO pat or the Ease of Doing Business rankings, Yogi Adityanath is one man whose grit and determination can move moun- tains. The way Adityanath charismatically won over Bollywood on the turf that can be said to belong to another ‘Saffron character’ Uddhav Thackeray, one can only say that the leader isn’t looking back anytime soon. With the dramatic achievements of their sur- prise ‘nominee’ Adityanath, his two mentors— Narendra Modi and Amit Shah—are quite upbeat with an all round success of ‘Yogi experiment’. PERSPECTIVE www.firstindia.co.in I www.firstindia.co.in/epaper/ I twitter.com/thefirstindia I facebook.com/thefirstindia I instagram.com/thefirstindia LUCKNOW | MONDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2020 02 IN-DEPTH FARMERS PROTEST MANN KI BAAT OF MSP NOT JUST PANACEA, PM AND CLANGING OF THALIS AT SINGHU PROBLEMS ARE MANIFOLD rime Minister Narendra Modi’s THE CENTRAL GOVERNMENT SHOULD SYMPATHETICALLY LOOK INTO THE GRIEVANCES OF FARMERS TO Mann ki Baat on the last Sunday of 2020 was greeted with the clang- RESOLVE THEM IN THE LARGER INTEREST OF THE NATION ing of thalis and other metal uten- P VIJAY SHANKAR sils by farmers protesting the three new farm laws considered reformative PANDEY by the Central government. The prime min- THE WRITER IS THE FORMER ister spoke of how his mantra of “Vocal for SECRETARY, FERTILIZER, Local” has caught on and was helping in in- GOVERNMENT OF INDIA digenisation of products and especially laud- ed Indian toymakers. He also exhorted man- ufacturers to focus on improving their prod- oon the farmers’ agitation is go- uct quality to be competitive in the global ing to enter its second month. It market. is unprecedented - the scenes The prime minister also paid tributes to around major highways leading Sikh gurus and said their sacrifices helped to the national capital, Delhi, protect our culture. Modi has been making with thousands of farmers repeated efforts to douse the temper of Sikh spending their days and nights farmers over a lakh of whom are protesting S for nearly a month in hostile along Delhi’s border. His visit to a Delhi gur- night temperatures plummeting dwara and appeal to Sikhs have not moved to nearly two degrees Celsius. the protesters. This kind of sustained public Even as Modi praised those who sent him movement is unparalleled in our letters offering suggestions, farmers at Sin- recent history which shows that ruling the centre and states. De- tion for the year. So till now, all ghu border, Faridkot in Punjab, and Rohtak our democracy is still kicking. clining farm incomes, fragmen- the government interventions in BJP-ruled Haryana clanged utensils, like But this agitation has to reach its tation of holdings due to increas- have only touched a very small the prime minister had asked the people to logical conclusion sooner than ing population, increasing cost THE TIME HAS COME FOR fraction of the farming commu- do to boost the morale of Covid warriors. Yo- later. No democratically elected of production, poor and corrupt THE GOVERNMENT TO nity. Secondly, treating the Agri gendra Yadav, the Swaraj India chief, an- government can afford to have implementation of Minimum LOOK AT THE FARM market like any other product nounced last Sunday, “When the prime min- thousands and thousands of its Support Price scheme has only DISTRESS ISSUE market is a mistake often com- ister gives his Mann ki Baat address on radio, citizens protesting for months on brought misery to the farming HOLISTICALLY AND TAKE mitted by experts dealing with farmers will say ‘we are tired of listening to its highways. Till now, about half community which was other- CORRECTIVE STEPS. this subject. Whereas in normal your Mann ki Baat, when will you listen to a dozen meetings between the wise also totally devoid of basic GOVERNMENT HAS TO market operations demand and our Mann ki Baat’?” He said farmers will government and the farmer lead- civic amenities like a good edu- IMPROVE ITS supply of any product determine bang utensils to block the “noise of his ad- ers have reached nowhere. With cation system, health care facili- PROCUREMENT the price of the product and the dress” from reaching them. the kind of statements emanat- ties, drinking water taps, proper MACHINERY WHICH IS IN producers of that product are in This is the first time when Modi, as prime ing from both sides, it seems both sanitation, etc. otherwise avail- TATTERS AND a position to increase or decrease CORRUPTION-RIDDEN minister, is facing such strong resentment. sides have reached a dead-end as able to other sections of the pop- the supply in the market to have Eventually, he will have his way on farm re- far as resolving the impasse is ulation residing in urban areas. control over the supply situation forms but the loss of trust among farmers, concerned. All these factors combined to- and hence on the price of the who are on protest since November 26, will It is very well documented that gether have led the farming com- product. But in agriculture all be huge. The government is still trying to farming has become a losing munity to think collectively and farm produce market to private the produce arrives within a convince farmers that the three new Acts--- People in proposition over several decades demand fair treatment from players, they will achieve the month or so while consumption the Farmers Produce, Trade and Commerce - that’s why millions are moving those running the governments. goal of the remunerative prices takes place over the year, result- government and (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, the away from farming to other voca- People in government and to farmers. But the government, ing in complete distortion of the those in the know of Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) tions. This point can be easily those in the know of things re- it seems, firstly missed the point demand-supply situation lead- Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm things realize that illustrated by this fact that in the alize that unless farming stress that agriculture in our country ing to price crashes, thus requir- Services Act, 2020, and the Essential Com- unless farming 1960s, 10 gram of gold was priced is not addressed at the earliest, is totally in private hands and ing governmental interventions modities (Amendment) Act, 2020---were stress is not somewhere at Rs 120, while one poverty alleviation in our coun- Agri markets are run and con- in manifold ways. meant to protect their interests and not addressed at the quintal of wheat used to cost try will always remain a distant trolled by private players only. The time has come for the harm them. On Sunday, Union minister Ra- earliest, poverty nearly Rs.45. Now compare this dream. The setting up of the Only a very minute fraction of government to look at the farm jnath Singh again assured farmers that the alleviation in our with today’s gold price which is farmers’ commission in 2004 farm produce, which includes distress issue holistically and Minimum Support Price (MSP) will contin- country will always nearly Rs.40,000 per ten grams was the culmination of this re- only wheat and rice, are pro- take corrective steps. Govern- ue and no one can take away their land. remain a distant whereas the MSP of one quintal alisation. But as usual most of cured on minimum support ment has to improve its pro- Farmers, however, think otherwise and are dream. The setting of wheat is Rs. 1840/-. This issue the recommendations are still price for the public distribution curement machinery which is insisting that guarantee on MSP be included up of the farmers’ can be further illustrated by the gathering dust and nothing system for the National Food Se- in tatters and corruption-rid- in the Act. The government is dithering on commission in fact that a class one officer then much has happened except for curity programme. As per the den. The present farmer’s agi- that point. 2004 was the drawing a monthly salary of Rs. some minor steps here and latest official figures of the Min- tation is the culmination of There’s a ray of hope, however. A joint culmination of this 300/- could purchase little more there. The most important is- istry of Agriculture, the procure- many years of neglect and apa- front of 40 farmers’ organizations, the Samy- than six quintals wheat then sue is ensuring that farmers get ment of wheat and rice is largely thy shown by successive gov- realisation.

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