Listen to 'Mann Ki Baat' of Farmers Also!

With farmers protests intensifying day by day against new farm laws that were passed in Parliament during the monsoon session, the central government called upon the representatives of 35 agitating organisations to meet in New Delhi on Tuesday. As usual, both - the government failed to reach a common ground and they even rejected the offer proposed to set up a committee to look into issues raised by the farmers.

 

 

Due to these gestures by the farmers, it seems that the Centre has failed to understand the demands of the farmers. The farmers want the farm laws created by the Modi-led government to be rolled back for the well-being of the farmers. They fear that the legislations will end the minimum support prices they receive from the government on key crops and these bills will help large corporations to earn more profits. This is not it, the governments in Haryana and Uttar Pradesh had tried to prevent the farmers from crossing state boundaries. When the farmers burst through the barricades, they were met with police batons, tear gas and water cannons.

 

However, several BJP leaders including Prime Minister Narendra Modi are still chanting that the new laws will help to improve the conditions of farmers as the prices that farmers receive will give them more flexibility. PM Modi has also claimed that Opposition parties were creating misconceptions or rumours to misguide the farmers on the farm laws. But, the Opposition doesn’t really come into the picture?

 

The farmers do not really want any political party to be allowed to speak at the protest site on behalf or for the farmers. Bharatiya Kisan Union Krantikari-wing’s president Surjeet S Phul said, "We’ve decided that we won’t allow any political party leader to speak on our stage, be it Congress, BJP, AAP or other parties. Our Committee will allow other organisations, who are supporting us, to speak if they follow our rules." Forget that, Union Home minister Amit Shah who on Sunday said that he does not consider the protests to be politically motivated. "I never called the farmers' protest politically motivated, neither I am calling it now," said the Home Minister while speaking in a press briefing in Hyderabad.

 

What ultrerior motives could the farmers have other than thinking of well-being of the farmers? Khalistani presence? Yes, there were few members of the ruling party went further in their attempt to malign the protestors. Haryana Chief Minister Khattar claimed that the government had received reports that the ranks of the protestors included a "Khalistani presence", stating that separatists who want an independent Sikh homeland had joined the agititation.

 

 

"The state has inputs of some unwanted elements raising pro-Khalistan slogans in the ongoing farmers' protests in and around the national capital. We've reports, will disclose once it's concrete," he told the media. If there was any presence, evidence should have been given. If it is not concrete, then there was no need to talk about it. But the media decided to run an agenda on this, hurting the sentiments of the protestors. Why outrage the farmers who are protesting peacefully?

 

 

 

Speaking about the meeting, why there is a need to specify clause-by-clause objection when it understood that it will not prove in any kind beneficial for the farmers. The minimum support price is already at its minimum .The government says that corporate buyers will pay more but there is no one to buy at a higher price. They will buy for two years and then store it. The mandis will be finished and then the farmers will have to sell it at a lower price with no option being left for them.

 

The Centre, if are really "concerned", they would have treated them well rather than detaining or using 'lathis' and firing tear gas on them. If PM Modi's initiative is to double the income of the farmers, then he should repay the debt of farmers by ensuring justice and rights for them not by water cannons.

 

At the borders of Delhi, farmers are still camping to protest against the Centre’s new farm Bills and today is the seventh day. Farmers are common people and if these laws are against them then it will be hard for them to survive in such a situation where thousands of farmers have already died after committing suicide. And, with these farm laws coming into the action, they will have no option other than protesting.