Former Prime Minister and Janata Dal leader V P Singh has demanded that a farmers’ forum be set up by the Centre and the states to voice their demands and grievances.He was addressing a press conference today to announce a 15-day Rath Yatra-Kisan Jagran Yatra against government’s agricultural policies. The Yatra would start on December 7, 2005 from Allahabad.He criticised the government on the agricultural policies vis a vis WTO agreement. Stating that the Centre neither consulted representatives of farmers who are actually affected, nor states, the implementing agencies.The Yatra is being organised in the context of the WTO meeting to be held in Hong Kong. India has been signatory to the WTO agreement since 1995. The issues which have given rise to the debate are the conditions in the agreement like getting rid of the licence permit system in imports and exports and the question of subsidies. WTO agreement requires government’s direct support for agriculture not to exceed 5 per cent in case of developed countries and 10 per cent in case of developing countries.‘‘Farmers in the West enjoy huge subsidies, how can Indian farmers be denied them. Subsidies are important as nearly 80 per cent of the Indian population is engaged in agriculture and about 70 per cent of them are not satisfied with it,’’ said Singh. He expressed concern over the prospects and scope for the export of Indian produce. ‘‘Potential exporter will face difficulties both in the domestic and foreign markets. The West will dump all its produce here and the Indian farmer would not be able to export much,’’ he added.
