Politics · India Bureau
Farmers' coalition challenges new cooperative law as anti-federal
The Samyukt Kisan Morcha has accused the National Co-operative Development Corporation Act of favouring corporate interests over agricultural autonomy. The farmers' body contends the legislation prioritises urban-centric corporate models at the expense of federal principles.
LSN India ·
A major coalition of farmers' organisations has mounted a strong challenge to the new National Co-operative Development Corporation Act, characterising it as fundamentally anti-federal in its approach to agricultural governance.
The Samyukt Kisan Morcha, which represents numerous farming unions across India, argues that the legislation has been structured to advance corporate-oriented development models centred on urban interests. The coalition contends this approach undermines the cooperative movement's traditional emphasis on farmer autonomy and decentralised decision-making.
The farmers' body has expressed concern that the act fails to adequately protect state-level cooperative institutions and local farmer initiatives. According to the coalition's assessment, the framework prioritises centralised control and corporate engagement over the federated structure that has historically characterised India's cooperative sector.
The opposition from the Samyukt Kisan Morcha adds to broader concerns about the legislation's implications for agricultural federalism and farmer representation in cooperative governance structures across the country.