IN a letter written by Sitaram Yechury, CPI(M) general secretary and leader of the CPI(M) group in Rajya Sabha to the prime minister on June 15, he demanded introduction and passing of a legislation in the forthcoming parliament session which not only confers on farmers the right to sell at MSP but also guarantees an automatic annual review of the MSP, which will be, at least, 50 per cent more than production costs. Yechury drew the attention of the prime minister to the plight of farmers across India, which has resulted in a high level of rural distress, including thousands of suicides by farmers in the past three years. “There have been increasing protests by farmers in one state after another, which have been met by your silence and apathy while the state governments of your party have let the police loose on the poor farmers. Six farmers have lost their lives in police firing in Madhya Pradesh, many seriously injured. Meanwhile, many continue to commit distress suicides, the latest such tragedy occurring in the CM’s own constituency.

“The response of your party’s state government in Maharashtra has been equally inconsiderate and repressive towards the genuine pleas of the farmers. During my visit to Nashik, 15 months ago, when Maharashtra farmers had blockaded the town, the CM called for negotiations and asked for six months to settle all the demands. Fifteen months have since passed, after which the peasantry decided to go on a unique form of struggle: a kisan strike. Past weekend’s negotiations follow from there. Even now the Kisan organisations have warned that if this latest agreement is not honoured in letter and in spirit, then they will resume the agitation from July 26, 2017,” he said.

Yechury reminded the prime minister that during his election campaign, he had promised a minimum support price that will provide a 50 per cent net profit to the farmer over his production costs. “During the last three years, you have done nothing to fulfill this promise. The current MSP for various crops fixed by your government barely provides any returns to the farmer. The two government agencies, FCI and NAFED, do not buy all the produce of the farmer, even at the existing MSP, forcing the farmer to distress sell his produce at a loss in the market,” Yechury said and added that under these circumstances, he is writing to the prime minister to demand his government to introduce and pass a legislation in the forthcoming monsoon session of parliament which not only confers on farmers the right to sell at MSP, but also guarantees an automatic annual review of the MSP which will be, at least, 50 per cent more than the comprehensive production costs as established by the Commission on Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP) for that year.