Price rise, not corruption, will be the most important issue for farmers when they go to vote in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, says a Centre for the Study of Developing Societies (CSDS) random survey. The sample size comprised 5,000 farming households with 11,000 interviewees including 4,298 women and 2,115 youths. Issues of unemployment and lack of irrigation will be other concerns that will influence the target group farmers.
Only 10 per cent of those interviewed believed that poor and small farmers got the benefit from farmer related schemes. Education, health and employment emerged as the major responsibilities that worry Indian farmers, the respondent group said.
Fifty-seven per cent of the people interviewed were “not sure” about which political party cared for farmers. Another 13 per cent opted for “others.” While 16 per cent said the BJP cared for farmers and 13 per cent named the Congress, one per cent said the Left parties cared for farmers.
The survey, carried out between December 2013 and January 2014, did not take into account the Aam Aadmi Party or the parties ruling in the States. Also, the sample size was too small and random for it to be truly representative.
Asked who they would vote for, 31 per cent said “can’t say,” 20 per cent said “others,” while 30 per cent said they intended to vote for the BJP, 17 per cent for the Congress and two per cent for the Left parties.
The study, commissioned by the Bharat Krishak Samaj, said around 47 per cent farmers felt the overall condition of farmers was bad and 58 per cent thought both the State and the Centre were responsible for their problems.
Sixty-one of the interviewed farmers said they would leave farming and migrate to the cities if they got employment there. Only 20 per cent of the 2,115 youths interviewed said they would continue farming.
Thirty-seven per cent of the farmers said there had been no change in their economic condition in the last 10 years, although 47 per cent were optimistic about their future. Contrary to the general opinion, a low proportion of farmers worried about repayment of loan. Their major worry appeared to be the future of their children, explained Sanjay Kumar, director of CSDS.
About 85 per cent farmers had heard of MGNREGA. Of them, 51 per cent said their household did not get work under the job guarantee scheme.
Seventy per cent had heard about the Direct Cash Transfer scheme but only 34 per cent supported the idea of subsidy benefits going directly into their bank accounts.
Of the 27 per cent who had heard about the Land Acquisition Act, 57 per cent said that farmers stood to lose from this law.
Eighty-three per cent of the respondent farmers had not heard about Foreign Direct Investment. Of them, 51 per cent said FDI should not be allowed since farmers may not be able to bargain. However, 40 per cent farmers of landless farmers supported the idea.
Strangely enough, about 62 per cent of the farmers were not aware of the minimum support price.
