Praja Darbar: Tenant farmers remind CM Revanth of promises made during his opposition days

Hyderabad: A Praja Darbar was held under the auspices of Samyukta Kisan Morcha to hear the problems faced by the tenant farmers in Telangana,

A Public Hearing was organized by the state’s main farmers’ associations, agricultural labor unions, and tenant farmer associations at Indira Park Dharna Chowk. Tenant farmers voiced their problems before an eminent citizens’ jury of Professor G. Haragopal, social activist Dr. V. Rukmini Rao, and former editor K. Srinivas.

The leaders of the Samyukta Kisan Morcha called for a concerted struggle for the rights of tenant farmers.

Around 14 tenant farmers from various districts explained their problems before the jury. Orsu Kavitha from Chintakuntla mandal of Nalgonda district, whose husband died by suicide, explained how tenants got burdened with private loans at high interest rates due to lack of support from government and banks.

She said that she still depends on tenant farming along with some of her land. Karelli Yadamma from Pudur mandal of Vikarabad district said that her husband committed suicide due to crop losses and debts from tenant farming and that she did not get any help as her husband had one acre of family land, but it was in the name of her husband's brother.

She said that it was completely unfair to provide government assistance based only on land title. Dommati Lavanya from Toguta mandal of Siddipet district, who is also a victim of farmer suicide, said that she did not get any help. She asked the government to support the tenant farmers to avoid more farmer suicides like her husband.

Bingi Tirupati from Kapparla village in Tamasi mandal of Adilabad district said that in 2018, due to the initiative of the then Collector Divya Devarajan, many tenant farmers in their village got Loan Eligibility Cards (LEC) under the 2011 Act. They were also able to get a Minimum Support Price by selling their cotton crop directly at CCI centers. All this was made possible by the 2011 Land Licensed Cultivators Act. However, due to the KCR government’s stand against tenant farmers, they got the cards only for one year. He said that justice will be done to tenant farmers only if this Act is implemented throughout the state.

Mundala Rajender from Both Mandal of Adilabad district said that he also got the tenant farmer’s LEC card only in 2018, which has benefited the farmers a lot. Since the Congress government is in power, they demand that the 2011 Act be implemented throughout the state and LEC cards issued.

Later, Prof. Haragopal referred to the open letter written by Chief Minister Revanth Reddy to tenant farmers in September 2023 when he was the Leader of the Opposition. As the CM, he is well aware of the problems. He said the government should implement the promises made to the tenant farmers. He said that if the tenant farmers are not identified and schemes are not provided to them, then the things said about BRS and KCR in the Chief Minister's letter will also apply to him, and that there will be no difference between BRS and the Congress government. He assured the farmers that they would bring the issues and demands raised by the tenant farmers to the notice of the government and pressure it.

Jury member and national leader of Mahila Kisan Adhikar Manch Dr. Rukmini Rao said Land Authorized Cultivators Act was brought by Congress in 2011 to identify tenant farmers,

Jury member and eminent journalist Sri K. Srinivas said that Chief Minister Revanth Reddy himself said that there are 22 lakh tenant farmers in the state. Rahul Gandhi also promised justice to the tenant farmers, they were also included in the six guarantees, but since the tenant farmers have not been identified till now, the government's sincerity is being questioned. He said that the tenant farmers should achieve these demands by taking them up in the form of a strong movement, and these public hearing issues should be brought to the attention of the government as banner topics.

Copies of the open letter written to the tenant farmers by the then TPCC President, Revanth Reddy, on September 13, 2023, were also provided to the media. In that letter, the Congress government said that it would do complete justice to the tenant farmers that Congress had brought the Land Authorized Cultivators Act in 2011. Under the act, identity cards would be given to the tenant farmers again, and crop loans would also be provided along with farmer assurance. The leaders said that 75 percent of the farmer suicides in Telangana were committed by tenant farmers. Identifying the tenant farmers and providing them with full support could make Telangana free from farmer suicides.

The Praja Darbar called on the government to implement the Land Licensed Cultivators Act of 2011. The farmers also demanded to cover tenant farmers under all government schemes. They sought crop loans, subsidies, disaster compensation, crop insurance, Rythu Bima life insurance, and crop procurement for tenant farmers.

Since Rythu Bharosa is investment assistance, and tenant farmers are the ones investing in cultivation, assistance should also be provided to tenant farmers. This guarantee, which is one of the six guarantees, should be implemented in the first year itself.