Farmers Movement Archive

Harsimrat Badal’s resignation

The Akali Dal-RSS alliance was cemented in 1967 when theGurnam Singh government was propped up in Punjab by Jana Sangh and the Communists. And it was with Jana Sangh support that Parkash Singh Badal first got sworn in as Chief Minister on March 27, 1970, as the leader of the Akali Dal (Sant group) along with Balwant Singh and Balram Das Tandon of Jana Sangh. It is this 50-year-long relationship that is getting severely strained as Badal’s daughter-in-law walks out of the government.The three farm Bills were discussed and approved by the Union Cabinet, where Harsimrat Badal could have put her foot down. The new laws dismantling the Agricultural Produce Marketing Committee regime allowing farmers the benefit of seamless movement of produce with the protection of Minimum Support Price seemed a progressive step for the farmers till a statewide agitation shook the political leadership. The Congress turned it into a successful mobilisation ploy against the Centre and the Akalis, leaving the Badals with little choice but to cut themselves adrift as they launch the 2022 poll campaign. It is still not clear whether the agitation is triggered by the fears of the arhtiyas or farmers, for PM Narendra Modi, while reaffirming the continuance of MSP, has slammed middlemen for misinforming the farmers.

The Tribune

2020-09-19