Farming An Agitation

Ever since Narendra Modi catapulted to power in 2014, opposition parties바카라�particularly the Congress바카라�have struggled to find an emotive issue that can outwit the Prime Minister and his party electorally. Be it demonetisation, economic stagnation and rising joblessness or recurring instances of social and communal unrest, nothing seemed to dent Modi바카라�s popularity among the voters. But, as the ongoing farmers바카라� strike against the Centre바카라�s three contentious farm laws enters its third month with no sign of an early resolution, opposition parties believe scratches have finally begun to appear on Modi바카라�s Teflon.

Respecting sentiments of farmer uni­ons that wanted their protests to stay apolitical, opposition leaders had, in the early days of the agitation, expressed solidarity with the cause, but stayed away from key protest sites on Delhi바카라�s borders. The expression of support was limited to press conferences, delegations to President Ram Nath Kovind and petitions before the Supreme Court dem­anding repeal of the laws and the assurance that political pressure on the government will be applied forcefully in Parliament. Clearly, none of these worked. The government has only dug in its heels deeper, with Modi maintaining that the laws reflect 바카라�long-due reforms바카라� and can be amended ,but not repealed.

ALSO READ:

With the next general elections three years away, it바카라�s too early to predict if the stalemate between the BJP-led government and India바카라�s largest, yet somewhat amorphous, votebank바카라�the farmers바카라�would prove to be Modi바카라�s Achilles heel. But opposition parties realise they can바카라�t afford to let this opportunity to corner Modi slide. With Parliament in session, Congress Lok Sabha MPs from Punjab, the state most distinctly identified with the early days of the protest before Rakesh Tikait and his Jat brethren gave it a more expansive makeover, have 바카라�dec­ided to collectively move a private member바카라�s bill seeking repeal of the three laws바카라�, says party MP Manish Tewari. With over 200 Lok Sabha MPs listing agriculture as their profession in their poll affidavits, Tewari hopes they would, irrespective of party affiliation, support the private member바카라�s bills.

The Congress, repeatedly ridiculed바카라�even by its own members바카라�for its inability to counter Modi, has sensed an opportunity to resurrect itself. Former party president Rahul Gandhi has said his party 바카라�stands 100 per cent with the farmers바카라� this unrest will spread across the country and the only way to stop that is for Modi to withdraw the three laws바카라�. The Congress is the sole opposition party to instruct its chief ministers to pass legislation in their ass­emblies to neg­ate the Central laws. In Punjab, the Amarinder Singh government had passed such bills, but they are yet to be sent for assent by the governor. 바카라�We will bring the bills again as the Constitution provides that if bills are passed twice by the Vidhan Sabha they have to be sent to the President,바카라� chief minister Singh said.

ALSO READ:

It was, say party sources, at the initiative of interim Congress chief Sonia Gandhi that opposition parties had dec­ided to boycott the President바카라�s add­ress to Parliament in the budget session, which they did in protest against the government바카라�s alleged highhandedness against the picketing farmers. Party general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra has decided to hold a ser­ies of kisan sabhas across Uttar Pradesh바카라�the BJP citadel that goes to the polls next year바카라�after her first such event in Saharanpur바카라�s Chilkana on February 10. The Congress high command has instructed all state units and frontal org­anisations to organise protests against the farm laws and leaders from agricultural communities have been directed to mobilise public support. In Rajasthan, for instance, Gujjar leader Sachin Pilot started add­ressing farmers바카라� mahapanchayats similar to the ones being org­anised by the Jats in western UP.  

Though four states바카라�Tamil Nadu, Bengal, Kerala and Assam바카라�and the Union territory of Pondicherry go to the polls later this year, political leaders across the spectrum beli­eve that the real test of the BJP바카라�s strength will be the UP assembly polls. In western UP, former Rashtriya Lok Dal MP Jayant Chaudhary is drawing huge crowds at kisan mahapanchayats his party has been organising. Chaudhary tells Outlook, 바카라�Until the BJP feels that its rural vote, its vote of the farmers, is slipping away, it will not be responsive to the farmers바카라� movement.바카라� Sources say former UP chief minister and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav too is planning a series of statewide kisan chaupals. Bahujan Samaj Party supremo Mayawati has also joined the chorus for repealing the three farm laws. However, Mayawati바카라�s party colleagues are still 바카라�waiting for her to tell us whether we need to aggressively push this on the streets too바카라�because there is a feeling that we aren바카라�t doing anything against the BJP,바카라� says a party MP.

Other opposition parties, like Mamata Banerjee바카라�s Trinamool Congress and Sharad Pawar바카라�s NCP, have been agg­ressively pushing for a repeal of the laws. 바카라�Pawar saheb has been speaking on the issue from the time the bills were first brought in as ordinances. The MVA government is weighing in legal options to negate the effect of the laws in Maharashtra바카라�we have raised our objections in Parliament and our workers have been agitating too,바카라� says Supriya Sule, Pawar바카라�s daughter and MP.

Rajya Sabha MP and RJD leader Manoj Jha explains why the kisan and­olan should give jitters to the Modi government and why the Opposition believes this is its moment of reckoning. 바카라�Agriculture is one issue that aff­ects everyone. Unlike other protests that we have seen in recent decades, this is one movement that has no caste, religion or class distinction바카라�this is a movement by the real majority of India and the BJP, in its arrogance of power, is trying to crush it at its own peril,바카라� Jha asserts.