What happens to the Land Bill now?

Rajasthan-based farmer, Gajendra Singh’s suicide at an Aam Admi Party rally in Delhi has given the oppositions an upper hand in the on going debate of Land Acquisition Bill, 2015. This fresh ammunition to the opposition, who were vehemently opposing Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s plan to introduce the land bill is expected to create more pressure on the ruling BJP government to make amendments to it.

The Congress and other opposition parties are likely to give adjournment motion and suspension of Question Hour notices in both Houses of Parliament on Thursday and demand a discussion and reply from the government, sources said. Meanwhile, the government is in a spot as its troubles have been compounded by the fact that Rajya Sabha resumes on Thursday and the Opposition will raise the issue strongly and link it to the land acquisition bill.

The farmer suicide, having a high potential to disrupt Modi’s success anthem has made BJP plunge into quick action. Health Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda and Minister of State for Agriculture Sanjeev Baliyan visited the Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital. The doctors informed the ministers that Gajendra Singh was brought dead.

The tech savvy Modi expressed grief over the suicide on twitter. The news report further says, Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi pipped Nadda and Baliyan to the post by reaching the hospital before them.

In fact Home Minister Rajnath Singh has already held a meeting with Delhi Governor Najeeb Jung and Police Commissioner BS Bassi on the matter this morning, with widespread protests ringing out in the capital. He is also expected to make a statement in the Parliament later in the day.

Will Home Minister’s insurance scheme be a healing touch to the aggrieved farmers?

In the wake of the farmer crisis in the country, the home minister Rajnath Singh is fast-tracking the introduction of the proposed National Crop Income Insurance Scheme, which guarantees income to the farmer during fluctuating prices (he will have to bear loss of 20%). During yield losses due to natural calamities, including drought or unseasonal rain 70-50% of loss would be paid by the government. It also brings all national insurance programmes under its purview and the government wishes to roll it out soon given the present crisis.

Singh had held a meeting on Wednesday with the Minister of State for Agriculture, Sanjiv Balyan, and bureaucrats of the ministry to finalise contours of the proposed insurance scheme for farmers.

An Assocham-SkymWeather study released earlier this month revealed only 19% of farmers have opted for crop insurance while among the rest, 24% said the facility was not available and 11% said they can't afford the premium. There have been five national schemes since 1985, and all have failed with farmers left with no safety net when crops fail.

A serious case like farmer suicide, right in the middle of an ongoing political rally motioned at opposing the land acquisition bill has certainly put a big question mark on Modi’s signature land bill. While opposing parties have already started protesting the Land Bill and demanding justice for Gajendra Singh, the whole furore looks like an acid test of the Modi government on the issue of agricultural lands and people dependent on it. In a chain reaction of yesterday’s tragedy, the Congress workers are staging protests in front of Delhi CM’s residence and Delhi Police Commissioner’s residence demanding immediate scrapping of the proposed land bill.

(Image: Reueters )