Farmers Movement Archive

To salvage its image, saffron party reaches out to farmers in Haryana

Tribune News ServiceRohtak, July 7In an apparent bid to placate farmers and salvage the ruling party’s image in villages, the BJP Kisan Morcha has started reaching out to the farmers in the state’s rural belt.The local units of the BJP’s farmer wing are being revived and reconstituted and village-level meetings are being held to convince the farmers of the benefits of the farm laws, which are being opposed.Notably, the leaders of the ruling BJP-JJP coalition have been facing a stiff hostility from the farmers. The state’s Opposition parties, including the Congress and the INLD, have extended support to the farmers’ movement.“The Opposition parties are misguiding the farmers to further their interests, while we are trying to convince them that the new laws are meant to benefit them by plugging the loopholes of corruption and eliminating the middlemen,” said Sukwinder Maandi, chief of the morcha’s state unit.Rajkumar Sunaria, new district chief of the morcha, said the office-bearers of the local unit were being appointed and meetings being held at the grass-roots level to reach out to the farmers. “We are trying to placate them and seek their suggestions, which will be conveyed to the central leadership so that the stalemate between the government and the farmers can be resolved amicably.”Meanwhile, representatives of the farm unions said: “Holding meetings in villages is a ploy of the ruling party to create a division among the farmers in order to sabotage the stir.” “The government wants to end the agitation at any cost. It may try to divide the farmers and incite clashes among them. Certain locals have lapped up the opportunity to further their vested interests and take benefits from the government,” said Preet Singh, vice-president of the state unit of the All-India Kisan Sabha.

The Tribune

2021-07-08