In a hilarious development, the ‘Sanyukt Kisan Morcha’ representing farmers largely of Punjab and Haryana shot of a letter to the Centre which makes it clear in no uncertain terms that the 40 farmer unions agitating at the borders of the national capital are getting increasingly insecure. This is because farmers from across the country are flying to Delhi to voice their support to the Modi government with regards to the revolutionary farm laws which seek to liberalise India’s agricultural sector. As such, the 40 farmer unions protesting against the three new laws are increasingly finding themselves in a conflict of popular opinion prevalent among the vast majority of farmers spread across India.
In a letter to Union Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Joint Secretary Vivek Aggarwal, the Sanyukt Kisan Morcha said the Centre should also stop “defaming” the ongoing protests being held at several Delhi border points against the three farm laws. “We want the government to stop defaming farmers’ agitation and holding parallel talks with other farmers’ organisations,” the laughable letter read. In the letter, the farmer unions also rejected the government’s proposal to introduce amendments in the laws following the farmers’ demands.
On Tuesday, the Bharatiya Kisan Union (Kisan) from Uttar Pradesh met Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar and decided to end their protest against the three farm laws. They also submitted a memorandum with suggestions on the laws and the Minimum Support Price to the Union Minister. This came in the backdrop of farmers from across the country rallying to the National Capital to meet the Union Agriculture Minister and voicing their support for the long-awaited and much-needed reforms. In fact, going a step further, the farmers from across the country have also threatened to take to the streets in case the new laws are repealed by the Modi government.
Naturally, the majority of farmers from across India voicing their support for the new farm laws will make those protesting at the borders of Delhi insecure. This is the precise reason why the 40 farm unions from Punjab and Haryana have written to the Centre asking them to stop meeting other farmers and their unions, as though the farmer unions of Punjab and Haryana are the custodians of all agricultural truth and have been delegated the responsibility of speaking for all Indian farmers.
TFI had recently reported how a delegation of 29 farmers from Haryana met Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar on Saturday and handed over a “letter of support” to him for the three new laws. Before this delegation, Narendra Singh Tomar was called upon by farmers from Uttarakhand. They too voiced their intense support for the continuance of the three new farm laws. On Monday, 10 organisations of farmers from various states like Uttar Pradesh, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Bihar and Haryana, associated with All India Kisan Coordination Committee called upon the Union Agriculture Minister and extended their support for the three farm laws which will revolutionize India’s farming sector.
Already, the Centre has made its stand clear – there will be no repeal of the said laws under any circumstances. The maximalist stance of the farmer unions from Punjab and Haryana and the tremendous support of farmers from across the country for the three farm laws have now begun knocking sense into the protesting farmers, who are desperately looking to save face by shooting letters to the Centre asking them to stop parallel meetings.