Farmers Movement Archive

Punjab Bills pose new challenge for Khattar govt

Punjab government’s political push against the Centre’s contentious farm laws is sure to embolden the critics of the Haryana government in the run-up to the November-3 Baroda assembly bypoll. The Congress-ruled Punjab government’s move of passing Farm Amendment Bills, which pledge minimum support price (MSP) to farmers and stipulate that those found selling and purchasing paddy below MSP can be jailed for three years, has the potential to put the Manohar Lal Khattar-led BJP-JJP coalition government on the back foot. Since the Bills counter the Union government’s farm laws,they will have to cross numerous hurdles before becoming a law. Thus, it is uncertain whether the Bills will see the light of the day. Dismissing the Punjab Bills and dubbing them a ‘political drama’, Haryana agriculture minister JP Dalal said the Congress government in Punjab was ‘misleading innocent farmers.’ “Congress should stop playing politics over MSP,” said Dalal, who has been canvassing in the Baroda segment, adding, “The Haryana government procures a range of crops, even bajra, on MSP. Even Rajasthan does not procure bajra on MSP. Punjab is resorting to political gimmicks.” ‘Pressure to mount on JJP’ Political watchers in the region say the pressure will intensify on BJP’s coalition partner JJP, which banks on the support of the farming community. Panjab University, Chandigarh, political science professor Ashutosh Kumar agrees that in light of the developments in Punjab, pressure will mount on deputy chief minister Dushyant Chautala. “Right now, I don’t see any immediate problem for the BJP in Haryana due to farm laws,” said Kumar, pointing out that the farmers’ protests had already lost momentum in Haryana. On the other hand, a veteran political journalist observed that the anti- BJP-JJP discourse will get louder in the state, which could hurt the BJP during the Baroda bypoll, while pushing the JJP into a corner as the farm laws are an emotive issue for farmers. “The Baroda by poll outcome will settle the debate on whether Haryana farmers are against or in favour of these farm laws,” he said. Khattar should follow Punjab’s lead, say farmers It is evident that BJP-JJP troubleshooters have their work cut out for them as farmer unions that were on the forefront of recent agitations in Haryana were quick to demand that Haryana follow Punjab’s footsteps. Bhartiya Kisan Union’s (BKU’s ) Haryana president Gurnam Singh Charuni said non-BJP state governments across the country should follow ‘the path shown by the Punjab government.’ Ratan Mann, state president of BKU (Tikait), said the Haryana government should mount pressure on the Union government to withdraw the controversial laws and upon failing to do so should follow Punjab’s lead. Endorsing Mannn’s views, another farmer leader, Sewa Singh Arya, said, “The Punjab chief minister has taken a bold step. Khattar should follow him.” As per reports, the discourse of the Opposition while canvassing in the Baroda assembly segment also revolves around the farm bills. Even as agitations against the Centre’s farm laws dissipated in Haryana, Punjab’s move has given ammunition to peasants and the Opposition to target the BJP-JJP government. Thus, the Punjab Bills could be bad news for Haryana ahead of the Baroda bypoll.

Hindustan Times

20-10-2020

Chandigarh