Farmers’ agitation: PM Modi must realise that his manoeuvres have seriously impaired his image

Drag discussion and force them to wilt. This is the primary strategy of the Modi government against the farmers. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his ministers are aware that the farmers will not retreat even for a centimetre from their stand of repeal of the three laws and legalise the MSP, even though they have been holding meetings with the protesting farmers. If they were really concerned of the miseries and plights of the farmers, they would have acceded to their demands.

As a part of its strategy to break the moral and fighting zeal of the farmers and most importantly to create confusion and schism in the farmers’ rank and file, the government agreed to resolve their concerns over rise in power tariff and penalties for stubble burning. The government has agreed to continue with the system of subsidising electricity.

Some time back, burning of stubble had become a major issue, with the government deciding to penalise the farmers. Now, the government dropped this also. These two decisions will ease the problems of small, medium and cash crop grower farmers. With this they may start nursing the feeling that have won and there was no more need to continue to participate in the agitation.

Quite interestingly, after Wednesday’s talks which were held in a friendly environment, Agriculture minister Narendra Singh Tomar requested the farmer leaders to send home the elderly, women and children. This is certainly part of the psychological warfare that has been launched by Modi and his government. Another Union minister Som Prakash, who has been part of the government’s three-member team for negotiations with the farmers, expressed similar concern, “Today’s meeting with farmers will be decisive. We want them to celebrate New Year at their homes, with their family and we are going into the meeting with an open heart and mind. The government will try to resolve the issue so that people can go back to their homes,” he said.

Modi government did not nudge from its stand of not scrapping the farm laws. The three farm laws were projected as major reforms in the agriculture sector that will remove middlemen and allow farmers to sell their produce anywhere in the country, which is far from the truth. The protesting farmers have been right in their assertion that the new laws would pave the way for eliminating the safety cushion of the MSP and do away with the "mandi" (wholesale market) system, leaving them at the mercy of big corporates.

The obstinacy of the government not to repeal the laws must be viewed in the backdrop of benefitting the corporate sector and the market forces. It is an irony that a farmer is not entitled to a minimum fund to boost his working abilities, but the corporate sector and industrialists are determined to turn agriculture into a capitalist hegemony. The government is determined to turn the agriculture into a market economy.

It is sad that so far no serious attempt has been made to unravel the fact behind pauperisation of farmers. While farmers are languishing, nearly 1400 big and medium agro companies have been earning thousands of crores from agriculture. They have been engaged in the nasty game of exploiting farmers and making huge profits by selling the products produced by them in the international markets.

It is really sad that Modi government is not concerned about 57 crore people directly or indirectly involved in agricultural activities. At the meeting, the government came out with a new delaying tactics. It told farmer leaders that a committee could be formed to deliberate on their demands regarding the three farm laws. The government has fixed January 4 as the new date for fresh deliberation. The uncaring approach of the government was visible in its approach towards the demand for justice and compensation for the families of the farmers who died during the protest.

PM Narendra Modi must realise that this kind of contempt for the people is not something that even the most powerful political leaders can get away with. He and his ministers must look at the ground realities. Modi must realise that his manoeuvres have impaired his image. His earlier projected image of being the most powerful Prime Minister of India ever has been eclipsed. People have come to nurse the impression that he has changed and beginning to look weak.

The incidents which took place during 2020, from the corona epidemic to farmers’ agitation, has eroded his credibility. The people expected that a person claiming himself as the strongest and most competent ruler would have faced the situation head on instead of resorting to gimmicks. Maligning the protesting farmers as Khalistanis and Naxalites has not gone well down even with the middle class, which is supposed to be his staunch supporter.

Repeated assurances from him or his ministers to the farmers that changes that the farmers want will be incorporated in the new farm laws simply strengthens the belief that there are many serious lapses and flaws in the laws.

The agitating farmers on their part are also getting ready for a prolonged struggle as they have come to understand the implications of the shrewd moves of Modi government. A senior farmer leader said: “We are not naive that can’t make out the design of the government’s moves. We are giving time to the government so that it cannot put the blame on our heads. We and our families are suffering.”

(IPA Service)