Farmers’ unions opposed to the farm laws may try to replicate panchayat-level gathering of western Uttar Pradesh and Haryana in other parts of the country in coming days even as they wait for a signal for talks from the government on any fresh proposal to end the current stalemate. Aiming to take their movement pan India, the unions will formally announce their future plans after reaching a consensus in the meeting of their joint protest platform and highest decision-making body, Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM).
Though the final details will be announced after the meeting, the broad contours of their four-pronged strategy includes panchayat level mobilisation in different states (beyond Punjab-Haryana-western UP), more ‘chakka jams’ (road blockades) at regular intervals, allowing free passage to vehicles at toll plazas and boycott of products of two corporates (Ambani-Adani).
Under the strategy, farmer leaders will move out from protest sites around Delhi to different states in coming days for mobilisation where they will use Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s remarks of ‘andolanjeevi’ (professional protesters) and ‘parijeevi’ (parasites) to garner support not only among farmers but also among industrial workers, unemployed youths and others with the help of trade unions. They will, during mobilisation, use the word ‘corporatejeevi’ (one who survives on corporates) for the ruling party leaders.
“We will decide and announce our future course of action with consensus after the SKM meeting. It would be a collective decision on how to take the farmers’ movement forward,” said Hannan Mollah, leader of left parties-linked All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) and former Lok Sabha MP.
Asked how the current deadlock will end, Mollah, one of the working group members who attended talks with the government, said, “We are ready for talks provided government creates a conducive atmosphere for it and comes out with a fresh proposal beyond what it had proposed earlier (January 20 & 22).”
Referring to agriculture minister Narendra Singh Tomar’s proposal of putting implementation of farm laws on hold for 18 months, Mollah said, “We were expecting the Prime Minister to offer something more during his speech in Rajya Sabha. Instead of doing that he sought to insult farmers by his remarks of ‘andolanjeevi’ and ‘parjeevi’. How can you expect any meaningful discussion in such an atmosphere?”
The last round of talks between farmer leaders and government were held on January 22 when the unions rejected the offer to put implementation of farm laws on hold for 18 months and continued to insist on repeal of the legislations which were enacted last year to give farmers freedom to sell their produce outside state-regulated ‘mandis’ (agri markets) and encourage contract farming under protected legal framework.
Besides seeking repeal of farm laws, farmers’ unions have also been demanding legal guarantee to purchase all crops at minimum support price (MSP).
Deep Sidhu, named in R-Day riots case, held
The special cell of Delhi Police last week arrested Deep Sidhu, a Punjabi actor-activist and a key player in the Red Fort riots during the Republic Day tractor rally. Sidhu was nabbed from near a dhaba in Haryana’s Karnal while he was waiting to take a getaway vehicle. He was brought to the capital and sent to seven days in police custody. He is currently being interrogated by cops who are trying to unravel the conspiracy behind the riots and the whereabouts of Sidhu’s associate, gangster Lakha Sidhana.
