Farmers Movement Archive

Environment of enmity must end: Farm unions

A day ahead of a crucial meeting of farm unions, leaders of the over two-month-long protest against three farm laws said on Tuesday that direct talks with the government were the only way to end the agitation for which, they added, the government must end “the atmosphere of enmity” by lifting restrictions on the Internet and restoring essential services, such as water and electricity, at protest sites.The Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM), the platform of farm unions spearheading the protests, will hold its full working committee meeting on Wednesday, in which its leaders would discuss ways to scale up their campaign and reiterate their stand on being open to talks, said Darshan Pal, a key farm leader.Prime Minister Narendra Modi, speaking in Parliament on Monday, had urged farmers to end their agitation and resume dialogue and assured them that a system of minimum floor prices for key crops would continue as usual. The farm unions, however, lashed out at the PM for calling supporters of the farmers’ agitation “andolan jeevi,” or protest parasites.So far 11 rounds of talks between 40 farm leaders and the government have failed to resolve the crisis. Both the government and farmers had called off the series of discussions on January 22, citing lack of progress. The unions have rejected the government’s offer to freeze the laws for 18 months, demanding their repeal .“The Prime Minister has said the government is open to dialogue. We are open too. It is up to the government to follow up on what the prime minister said,” Pal told HT.Pal said the unions would continue the protests and discuss the agitation’s next course, especially on strengthening it in other states, in their general body meeting.Tens of thousands of farmers, braving cold weather, have been camping in the open since November 26 on national highways leading to Delhi to demand the repeal of three pro-reform farm laws.The government has said that the laws will bring investments and give farmers freedom to sell their produce directly to large buyers in a sector that accounts for nearly 15% of India’s $2.9 trillion economy and employs half its workforce. Farmers say the laws will threaten their livelihoods by forcing them to sell to corporate giants instead of government-run markets.Wednesday’s full meeting of the SKM willl brainstorm on ways to scale up protests in multiple states. “We will organize many more mahapanchayats (rural meetings). Farmers across the country are united and we will continue to protest until the black laws are repealed,” said Rakesh Tikait, a farm leader who has organized several large rural rallies called mahapanchayats in the past week, as part of the protests.The farm unions, while emphasizing that they believed in talks even as the protests continue, blamed the government for creating a confrontational atmosphere.“Only direct talks with the government will end the agitation. But for the dialogue to resume, the government must end the atmosphere of enmity. The PM must show magnanimity and offer something new,” Hannan Mollah, another working committee member of the SKM, said.He said the government must restore the internet at protest sites and resume essential facilities, such as water and electricity. “Such steps would help in restarting the dialogue”.His views were echoed by descriptor Kavitha Kuruganti, who said while farmers were open to a resumption of talks, “attacks on farmers must stop”.Police have summoned or arrested several farm leaders after turmoil on Republic Day, when farmers clashed with police and breached the Red Fort during a planned tractor rally in the national capital.The issue has also garnered global attention with celebrities such as popstar Rihanna and environmental campaigner Greta Thunberg announcing their support for the farmers. The external affairs ministry has slammed international comments in support of the farmers’ agitation as “inaccurate and irresponsible”, saying “vested interest groups” were trying to build opinion against the country.

Hindustan Times

10-02-2021

India