Farmers Movement Archive

How innovative protests make their mark this Parliament session

This monsoon session has been witnessing protests by the Opposition since day one. While the Opposition has been constantly protesting in the House with placards, there have been some innovative protests outside as well. On their part, farmers have been holding a mock Parliament, just a kilometre from the House. Here’s a look at some new ways that the lawmakers resorted to as they tried to draw attention to some key issues:Driving home the point: On July 26, Rahul Gandhi drove a tractor to Parliament. The vehicle, with a banner demanding that the three “anti-farmer black laws” be repealed, was stopped at the entry gate as it didn’t have a valid pass to be allowed in.But Gandhi managed to make his point. “We have brought the farmers’ message to the Parliament. The government is not allowing any discussions about their demands... All the farmers of India are being suppressed, that is why I have come here on a tractor… These are black laws and they need to be taken back,” he said while seated on the tractor.Back to basics: Harsimrat Kaur Badal, a union minister who resigned following the passing of three controversial farm laws last year, also took to protest in a unique way on August 2. Along with colleagues from Shiromani Akali Dal and Bahujan SamajParty (BSP), Badal handed over wheat stalks to lawmakers to arouse empathy for the farmers who have been protesting on borders of the national Capital since November last year.Click here for LIVE Updates of Parliament proceedings “It is shocking that a community to which everyone is beholden is being persecuted by the government which refuses to repeal 3 black #FarmLaws. Today, we distributed wheat stalks to MPs to appeal to the conscience of our policymakers to be just to the hand that feeds them,” Badal posted on Twitter. She was also seen handing out a stalk to BJP MP and actor Hema Malini while announcing-‘’Hemaji is with farmers!’’Rallying support: On August 3, Opposition leaders united for a breakfast meet in the constitution club in India. Afterwards, many of these MPs hopped on to bicycles and with Rahul Gandhi leading them, they headed to Parliament on cycles mounted with placards demanding reduction in fuel and LPG prices. Taking to Twitter the same day, Gandhi said, “Neither our faces are important nor our names. The important thing is that we are peoples’ representatives - in every face, there are crores of faces of the people of the country who are troubled by inflation. Are these good days?”Earlier on July 19, MPs from Trinamool Congress also rode cycles to Parliament to protest the fuel price hike. Congress leaders had also ridden horses in recent past to protest the fuel price hike.Holding fort: Protesting farmers have been holding a mock parliament at Jantar Mantar. On Tuesday, some of the farmers who have been protesting against the controversially enacted farm laws posed as lawmakers who signed legislation that repealed the “anti-farmer laws” and also imposed “legal guarantees” assuring minimum support price for crops.Farmers have been holding Kisan Sansad at Jantar Mantar as part of their agitation since the beginning of the monsoon session.

Hindustan Times

04-08-2021

India