What Are The Options Before The Farmers Now?
Editor-in-Chief of indiacommentary.com. Current Affairs analyst and political commentator.
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By Sunil Garodia
First publised on 2021-01-30 03:11:32
About the Author
Editor-in-Chief of indiacommentary.com. Current Affairs analyst and political commentator.
View all posts by this Author
The farmers have been ring fenced after the disastrous tractor rally that was taken over by unruly elements and ended in a huge embarrassment for them. The Delhi Police is after them and wants more than 70 union leaders to cooperate in the investigations. That will leave little time for them to spearhead the agitation. Then, local people (there is doubt whether they are truly âlocalâ or from the BJP) have started objecting to farmers occupying the borders for more than two months. It is happening at all farmer camps at the borders in Haryana, Punjab and UP. There was a pitched battle between the so-called locals and the farmers at Singhu border yesterday (where a policeman was allegedly attacked with a sword) and the police had to resort to lathi charge and fire tear gas to separate the two. Haryana and UP governments have already asked the unions to disperse and there was even a massive buildup of security forces at the Ghazipur border in UP hinting at forced removal. Fortunately, better sense prevailed and a potentially ugly situation was averted.
So what options are there before the farmers in the present situation? It is clear that after what happened during the tractor rally, public sympathy for them has gone down substantially. Although the people might support their cause, they now know that the union leaders have no control over their flock and have also allowed anti-national elements to infiltrate the movement. Hence, ordinary people will get more and more miffed if the agitation continues for long. The farmers have to factor this in whatever decision they take. In a wise decision they have already cancelled their march to the Parliament on February 1, the day when the Union Budget is to be presented. There has also been a split in the Samyukt Kisan Morcha with several unions deciding to leave for now. Also, politicians are making a beeline to take over the movement with the Shiromani Akali Dal asking its cadre to rush to Singhu border after the clashes there. The farmers themselves might be tempted to seek political patronage to keep the agitation going, but that would be disastrous and will kill the movement. The apolitical nature of the movement has generated more support and political parties will use it just to settle scores with the government.
Hence, the best option before the unions now is to accept the offer of the government to keep the farm laws in abeyance for 18 months and hold detailed negotiations by forming a joint committee. The farmers should grab this offer now, suspend their agitation and as a favour ask the government to scan CCTV footage and move against only such elements that were found engaging in arson and anti-national acts at the Red Fort and elsewhere. They should also come forward and help the Delhi Police in identifying such elements. Talks and cooperation must go hand in hand and the unions must realize that for now, the government has the upper hand after the Republic Day fiasco. Any other stand on part of the unions will only exacerbate matters and is likely to kill their movement or let political parties hijack it for their own benefit.
