Farmers’ protests lose steam with a lacklustre “Chakka Jam”, a clear indication that actual farmers have abandoned them

On Saturday, the Samyukt Kisan Morcha – apex body spearheading the motivated and misinformed farmers’ protests against the three revolutionary farm laws, which seek to liberalise and overhaul India’s agricultural sector, continued their agitation by organising a nationwide chakka jam, or blockade of national and state highways. 

After the January 26 violence in the national capital, however, the farmers’ Saturday programme ended up as a dud, with close to no participation of actual farmers from across the country. Already, in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Delhi, the farmers’ unions had announced that no chakka jam would be observed, as they might be thrown into jail soon after. 

In order to salvage their image, the motivated farmers were forced to seeking human support from various political parties. At many places across the country, Congress and Left workers were seen participating wholeheartedly in the blockading of state and national highways. Even in Amritsar – the heart of Punjab, a handful of people were seen blocking the entry road into the city. Across the country, there was close to no participation in the chakka jam by actual farmers. 

Evident from the recent chakka jam, the ‘movement’ of the farmers has lost steam – simply because the union leaders have been lying through their teeth about all that the farm reforms would do to the livelihoods of those connected to the agricultural sector. 

The people of India, especially the real farmers have begun seeing right through such lies, and there is really nothing left in the agitation of farmers from Punjab, Haryana and Western Uttar Pradesh. Going forward, one can expect the motivated unions to hold other such demonstrations, and witnessing their abject failure, retiring into a corner for sulking. 

And why should the actual farmers, who have for decades been wanting the reforms passed by the Modi government, participate in the demonstration organised by a few farmers from northern states who are agitating owing to their own motivations? The fact that the protests have been hijacked by Khalistanis and various political parties is no secret. Across the country, Left workers were seen sitting on the roads and aiding the ‘farmers’ in their struggle against the ‘Modi government’.

As for the farmer unions and their leaders, they are either acting at the behest of vested interest groups or have their own political ambitions. The non-indulgence of real farmers from across the country should serve as a reminder to such unions that they have no support on the ground. They are just making a grand fool out of themselves by organising futile rallies and chakka jams.