Farmers Movement Archive

Farmers’ stir an organic movement, but has helped opposition parties: RLD’s Jayant Chaudhary

Meerut: A day after Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) vice-president Jayant Chaudhary visited the protest led by farmers from Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh at Singhu border (connecting Haryana with Delhi), he claimed the protest was an organic movement which has put forth the farmers’ grievances with the controversial farm laws. “It is an organic movement and empowers all political players in opposition. A narrative has gone out that the farmers are not happy. This is the first accomplishment of this movement. Finally, there is glare on what the government claimed (to have achieved) in the agricultural sector and what the reality is,” Chaudhary told TOI. “People needed an outlet and this movement has become one for people across India, not just Punjab and Haryana,” he said. While attempts have been made to label the protests as politically motivated, Chaudhary maintained the ongoing farmers’ protests is a “social movement which has organically spread”. “Social movements were always powerful because people who do not have strong allegiance to any party, entity, leadership or ideology feel freer to align with such organic movements,” Chaudhary said. Meanwhile, to apprise the farmers about the controversial farm bills, RLD will soon begin a farmer outreach programme ‘Mera Gaon Mera Sangathan’ in western UP where the party is planning to reach out to local farmers at the grassroots level. “The narrative that is being put out that the farmers in UP are not going to be affected is wrong. But, at the same time, I believe the communication should be stronger at the grassroots level. We need to explain to the farmers of UP and other places that the new laws will affect them all,” he said.

The Times of India

2020-12-04

Meerut