They are excluded from all government support systems including crop loans and insurance
A public hearing of tenant farmers of Andhra Pradesh in front of a people’s jury of eminent citizens was organised by Rythu Swarajya Vedika (RSV) in Vijayawada on Wednesday. On the occasion, social activist Medha Patkar demanded that the government modify rules for tenant farmers.
The tenant farmers from various districts participated in the programme and highlighted their difficulties to obtain Crop Cultivators Rights Cards (CCRC) and being excluded from all government support systems including crop loans, crop insurance, disaster relief and even the chance to sell their crop at procurement centres at the minimum support prices.
The people’s Jury consisted of Medha Patkar, leader of the National Alliance of People’s Movements and one of the leaders of Samyukta Kisan Morcha, Vadde Sobhanadreeswara Rao, former Agriculture Minister, and PS Ajay Kumar, eminent socio-political activist for the rights of agricultural workers and Adivasis. RSV senior activist Kirankumar Vissa presented the findings of RSV’s landmark study which extensively surveyed 4,154 tenant farmers in 34 gram panchayats spread over 12 undivided districts of AP in 2022.
Medha Patkar said, “The food we eat today is produced by the efforts of tenant farmers. Today, I was shocked to hear about the plight of tenant farmers. Jagan Mohan Reddy’s government should not limit itself to welfare schemes but should provide rights to the people. 30 lakh tenant farmers should get all the schemes as a right. By making the owner’s signature as a requirement, the Crop Cultivators’ Rights Act has become the Land Owner’s Rights Act. Along with Rythu Swarajya Vedika and other farmers’ organisations, I am ready to discuss the issues of tenant farmers with the Chief Minister. We demand that the Chief Minister take a special initiative to address the issues of tenant farmers.”
After hearing the multiple dimensions of the problems faced by the tenant farmers, the people’s jury gave their verdict and demanded that the government give full attention to providing CCRC cards and all benefits of government schemes to nearly 30 lakh tenant farmers. The jury demanded amendment of the CCRC Act and Rules, a visible campaign to convey to the land owners that there was no threat to their land ownership title, CCRC for government leased land, modification of Rythu Bharosa guidelines, bank loans for tenants and disaster compensation and crop insurance for the farmers.
