Much awaited thing has happened. At last the union government bowed before the farmer unions and has withdrawn the farm bill. But the farmer unions are not relenting. They are bent on continuing their agitation and trying to bring down the Yogi led BJP government in Uttara Pradesh.
According to the Agriculture economists like Dhanawat the agitation itself is misplaced. The farmers laws were awaited by farmers for 7 decades after the independence. For last several years including Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU) were demanding for the changes in the existing farm laws and demanding the liberty to the farmers to sell their product outside the APMC. The Congress, BJP and almost all the political parties had assured in their manifesto that they would make comprehensive changes in the existing farm laws.
The Modi government had taken the bold step to make changes in the farm law. According to media reports Rakesh Tikait who has become law unto himself too had called union defence minister Rajnath Singh and UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and congratulated them for fulfilling the longstanding demands of farmers.
But when some left organizations from Punjab began opposing the newly amended farm law everything changed. All political parties and leaders, farmer leaders found a good opportunity to corner the union government and launched the agitation.
First time in the history PM Modi had to backtrack over his own decision as it was clear that the farmer’s agitation will hurt the party in upcoming elections in five state. It is important to note that except Punjab, Haryana and UP no other state witnesses the agitation against the farm bill. In Punjab the middlemen and agents were said to be behind the agitation. It is said that some Pro-Khalistani forces in filtered into the agitation and tried to create anti-India image in abroad. Most of the farmers who are on sit-in dharna have no idea what the farmer’s bill is! They are carried away by the inflammatory and misleading statements of the union leaders, said Dhanawat.
Now the bill is withdrawn. But the farmers still continue to lay seize to capital Delhi. Now they are demanding MSP for the food grains grown by them. According to independent observers even if the government agrees to concede to their demand the farmers will take up another issue and continue their agitation. This agitation will continue till the end of the assembly elections in five states in general and UP and Punjab in particular.
The Modi government has erred by withdrawing the bill budging under the pressure. the bill was withdrawn Just because handful of the farmers from two states protested but it has caused immense harm to the interest of farmers from other states who are the silent majority. If winning election becomes the only priority such things bound to happen which will prove detrimental to the development of agriculture sector in the country as well as the economic growth of the farmers.
