Farmers Movement Archive

Farmers fear politicians trying to encash protest

Amritsar: When Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal went to Ghazipur border on Sunday to honour farmer leader Rakesh Tikait, the issue of politicians trying to encash the agitation became a topic of discussion again. Earlier, Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) leader Jayant Chaudhary had arrived at Ghazipur to meet Tikait and announced his support to farmers agitation. Prior to that, former Congress president, Rahul Gandhi had also asked the farmers ‘to not move an inch’ and had assured Congress’s support. Many feel that politicisation of farmers agitation may dilute the core issues on which the movement is built and pave way for the political opportunities and self aggrandizement of a select few. “Sukhbir had earlier stated that none of the senior leaders of his party will go to the site of farmers’ agitation. And the farmers who had announced that they will not let politicians address from their stage, are now accepting siropas from them,” said Rattan Singh Randhawa, a farmer leader. While condemning SAD (B) president for trying to politicise the farmers agitation, he also said Tikait should have refrained from meeting a political leader at the site of agitation. However, he hailed Tikait for changing the course of agitation just as it appeared that the movement was losing ground. “Tikait gave an opportunity to the politicians to intervene in the farmers’ agitation. The farmers’ organisations who have been camping at Tikri and Singhu borders have so far not allowed the politicians to intervene in their agitation,” said former sarpanch of Manjwind village Sukhdeep Singh Sidhu. Stating that Tikait had political ambitions since he himself is a politician who had lost assembly and Lok Sabha elections in the past, Sidhu said the entry of politicians would give credence to the BJP leaders’ allegations that opposition is fuelling the farmer’s agitation. “Time will tell, how long the Punjab’s farmer leaders will keep the politicians away,” he said. Satnam Kaur (name changed), wife of a farmer leader who is camping at Singhu border, said the issues for which the agitation had begun could be lost in political oneupmanship. According to her, before the issue could become purely political, the farmers should boycott the politicians.

The Times of India

2021-02-02

Chandigarh