Thirty -two heads of farmers’ unions went on a day’s hunger strike as the farmers’ peaceful stir entered the 19th day at the outskirts of Delhi. The Modi government seems on the defensive having missed the opportunity to discuss threadbare the farm bills that were hurried for adoption. Save the traditional opponents like the TMC and the Left the initial protests were muted, particularly from the farmers. It was only the farmers from Punjab and Haryana who reorganized themselves to decide on a seize of Delhi, which is showing no relent and is spreading across the world.
One thing commendable is that the farmers have so far kept at bay any attempts to hijack their movement by the opposition political parties. For them, it was a Godsent opportunity to make their presence after the brutal defeat in the recent polls. Despite claims by the Government, infiltration by disruptive forces, like the Khalistan freedom fighters and the ultra-leftists, were presumptive or disproven until this time in India. However, such elements assembled in huge numbers in Canada, the US and the UK paralyzing Central London on the 6th December 2020 outside the Indian High Commission in London.
Paramjit Singh Pamma and a few others on the terror list were a part of the assembly in London. The Canadian Prime Minister, hanging by a thread of life offered by the Sikh support made an undiplomatic move adversely commenting against the Indian Government. Soon the Democrats managed human rights groups from the US could join the fray.
I have seldom seen the Government bending backwards to engage several times with the farmers like they are doing now. They have made many concessions amending the contentious Minimum support Price, which was one of the prime demands of the farmers. This is a good gesture. The farmers, however, do not seem to be accepting anything other than the bills withdrawn in total.
I am not comfortable with such withdrawal of laws passed by both houses and assented by the President. I also believe that the means adopted by the Government in pushing the bills in a hurry may have been unwise. The goals of an Agri-reforms were overdue and the Government, in my opinion, cannot be blamed on their motives. No reform will ever take place in this country if the Government yields to a group of farmers, mainly from two States, Punjab and Haryana alone. There is not much opposition to the bills from the southern states, while a few others have recorded a symbolic protest.
Farmers must join the mainstream of development. The Government must keep the farmers protected from the scavenging corporates, private moneylenders and mandi owners. It is some of these groups, which are upset with the farm amendments and might have provoked the farmers, who are now around Delhi in the bitter cold days, protesting.
Vajpayee’s Government too, despite a reasonable performance, missed their engagement with the common man and instead boasted of ‘India shining.’ India might have, but NDA was trounced in the elections. I hope the present Government learns from past mistakes and do not wall themselves in.
Let us all pray that the farmers end their stir and return to their homes the soonest.
Sampath Kumar
Intrépide Voix
