Neither the cold wind nor the sceptre could break the spirit of the farmers protesting at the borders of Delhi for more than 6 months. The demand to reverse the three farm laws passed by the Central Government in September 2020 still remains alive despite the hardships faced by the farmers. However the public memory of the protest has unfortunately turned pale.
On Wednesday, an altercation developed between farmers and local BJP workers at the UP-Delhi Border. The party-men were at the border to meet one of their leaders Amit Pradhan. While en route they happened to cross the farmers who were camping near the highway since November 2020. Upon seeing the BJP men visiting the spot, the farmers showed black flags and this created a scuffle which then escalated into a fight.
Leaders of the protesting farmers’ groups claimed that this is another attempt by the government to sabotage their reputation. The farmers said they had asked administration officials to remove the BJP workers, who were creating a ruckus.
“They misbehaved with farmers and damaged their own vehicles as part of a conspiracy,” Samyukta Kisan Morcha spokesperson Jagtar Singh Bajwa was quoted as saying by news agency Press Trust of India. “This conspiracy of the government is not going to succeed because such tactics to end the farmers” protest have been used in the past too,” he added.
Since the occurrence of the pandemic’s second wave, legislative assembly elections, lockdowns, political progressions, other events like Kumbha Mela, Lakshadweep island issue, GST council meeting, regional developments and most of all financial fluctuations in the commoners’ life, the news about the farmers is not taking firm hold in the minds of people in India especially in the Southern Parts.
What we fail to note is that the farm laws are not like Jallikattu or River Cauvery issue that only affects a State’s populace. It is not a regional issue. These farm laws have the power to impact the nation’s farmers altogether.
It must be noted that former TN Chief Minister Edapaddi K.Palaniswami and his government supported the farm laws, and called them “beneficial to farmers” whereas the current Chief Minister M.K.Stalin has said that the Tamil Nadu State Assembly will pass a resolution against the Centre’s 3 farm laws. He mentioned that the resolution aims to urge the Union government to withdraw the three farm laws.
Already Kerala, West Bengal, Punjab, Delhi, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh have passed the resolutions but the majority of the States that have passed the resolutions are from North. If a resolution is passed in Tamil Nadu State Assembly, that would add considerable support to the farmers. Except Tamil Nadu and Kerala, other Southern regions are either in alliance with BJP or ruled by other regional parties.
Chief Minister Stalin met PM Modi on Jun 17 and urged him to withdraw the farm laws, while discussing other State affairs. Despite several rounds of talks, a middle ground is yet to be achieved.
If the Centre’s attitude towards the anti-farm law protests continues, it could make the farming community everywhere take a look at the opposition’s tent and pledge support in the elections whenever and wherever it occurs!
Article by : David Karunakaran.S