Farmers Movement Archive

Farm laws: Boost for Rahul line on 'street politics'?

NEW DELHI: The decision of the Modi government to rollback the three farm laws is reminiscent of the BJP regime’s wilting under pressure over its proposed amendments to the land acquisition Act, and is likely to strengthen the Rahul Gandhi line of argument that the opposition needs to pick issues against the BJP and pile pressure through street politics. While the Congress leader took the lead in launching protests against the farm laws immediately after they were passed in Parliament in 2020, without a committed support from the opposition parties, he had also waged a lone battle over the land acquisition Law in 2015. It was only after much persuasion that other like-minded parties came around to back the agitation. In the end, both the controversial government moves spurred larger opposition agitation and forced the government on the back foot. Read AlsoRepeal of farm laws: Worry over Punjab unrest drove decisionPM Narendra Modi's Gurpurab surprise was strongly driven by concern over the fallout of the prolonged agitation in Punjab, a border state where the possibility of fresh disaffection was seen to be a problematic issue that needed an urgent outreach to the Sikh community as the stir showed no signs ofIn the wake of Prime Minister Narendra Modi‘s surprise announcement on farm laws, the opposition bloc may be eager to push ahead. Though a key sore point for the government that had pitted the farming community against the ruling BJP would now be out of the public debate, much to the latter’s relief ahead of key assembly elections, it may tempt the anti-BJP axis towards greater stridency on other controversial issues that have hitherto remained either untouched or have been handled with soft hands. That raises the possibility that Rahul Gandhi’s hand may now be stronger to nudge the naysayers or the doubting Thomases. Read AlsoFarm laws: 'No govt will dare to bring full reforms'Certain provisions of the central farm laws might have been debated fiercely, but the decision to roll back the legislations is seen as a serious setback to farm reforms, which may not now be taken up at the Centre in a comprehensive manner in near future fearing a backlash.The big handicap in the opposition camp has been the divergence over issues to attack the government. Rahul has single-handedly forced the congress, despite in-house reservations, to question the BJP with gusto over Chinese aggression, Rafale scam, handling of J&K, but the rest of the opposition has stayed away from these sensitive subjects which they feel end up benefiting the BJP that quickly paints criticism on them as politicking over “National security concerns”. The coming winter session will reveal if the repeal of farm laws has changed the thinking of the non-congress, anti-BJP parties. Many in Congress believe that the Pentagon report on Chinese occupation and fresh revelations on Rafale purchase call for renewed aggression on the twin issues. Some changes, though, have been evident in recent months. The complete blockading of the monsoon session of Parliament over the Pegasus scandal, was a big departure from how a badly divided opposition had played post-2019 when BJP returned to Lok Sabha with a greater majority and the rivals lost their upper hand in the Rajya Sabha.

The Times of India

2021-11-20

India