New Delhi: Although leaders of farmers’ agitation have been claiming since they reached the borders of Delhi that their movement is apolitical, after a 12-day long protest against the new farm laws, their call for Bharat Bandh on December 8 appears to have been hijacked by different political parties to serve their agenda.
Despite their best efforts to retain their apolitical character, which they maintained during talks with the Central ministers, the support extended to their Bharat Bandh by as many as 20 political parties, in solidarity with farmers’ cause, has altogether given a new tinge to this movement.
Almost all opposition parties and several trade unions are backing the ‘Bharat Bandh’, but the Congress is the largest party that has 51 MPs in the current Lok Sabha. The Samajwadi Party and NCP have 5 MPs each, Aam Aadmi Party 1, BSP 10, Shiromani Akali Dal 2, Shiv Sena 18 MPs, while other parties supporting the Bandh together have 40 MPs. If we combine all these numbers, the bandh will have the support of 133 MPs of over 20 parties. Thus, out of the total 543 MPs of the present Lok Sabha, only 24 percent of the MPs are with the Bharat Bandh. In a democracy, the will of the majority is considered supreme, but the MPs having minority numbers now want to shut down the whole country.
In 2010, Sharad Pawar was the Agriculture Minister in the UPA government, he had written letters to chief ministers of the states, appealing them to change the Mandi Act, but now, he is opposing the same reforms introduced in the new agricultural laws. This clearly shows that farmers of the country are being used for political gains.
Similarly, Captain Amarinder Singh as an Opposition leader had tweeted on July 27, 2016, saying that had the then Akali Dal government not canceled the Retail Agri-BusinessProject, the income of Punjab farmers would have tripled. In August 2006, an agreement was reached between the then Chief Minister of Punjab, Captain Amarinder Singh, and a large corporate house, wherein, the company was expected to buy agri-products worth Rs 3000 crores from farmers. Ironically, Captain Amarinder Singh is now opposing the new farm laws having all provisions that he once cited to help farmers in increasing their income.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal also reached the Singhu border on Monday to meet the farmers sitting on dharna, while his government has already implemented the new agriculture laws and the notification was also issued on November 23, 2020. Such double standards of the political parties clearly show that they just want to capitalise on the farmers’ movement.
Notably, the bandh has got the support of the governments of 8 states. The Merchants and Transport Association, however, has said that markets in Delhi and across the country will remain open on Tuesday and transport will not participate in the bandh. Leaders supporting the Bharat Bandh have claimed that it will be executed from 11 am to 3 pm and will not allow essential goods like milk, fruits, and vegetables to reach the national capital.
Amid these developments, a delegation of 20 farmer leaders from Haryana met Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar on Monday to extend their support to the new farm laws, hours before the ‘Bharat Bandh’ on December 8.
The number of farmers in the country is about 15 crores, but political parties have decided to make 138 crore people hostage through this Bharat Bandh. Notably, a day’s Bharat Bandh incurs a loss of about Rs 32,000 crores. This is just an estimate, but the actual figures may be much more. This mammoth economic loss would also impact your purse.
There are about 200 million families in India, and if distribute Rs 32,000 crores among these families, then each family will suffer an average loss of Rs 1600. It takes about 8 days for farmers in India to earn Rs 1600.
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While discussing the different aspects of the farmers’ protest, the DNA report will also draw your attention towards the voices coming out in support of this movement from countries like Canada, America, and Britain. We have repeatedly stated the facts as to how Khalistani supporters have made entry into this agitation. The anti-country forces active on the foreign territory are trying to weaken the country.
Even Prime Minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau, extended his support to the ongoing Farmers’ protest, but his views were just opposite when Canada was facing protests across the country in February this year. Trudeau had then called the peaceful demonstrations in Canada unacceptable.
On Sunday, a rally in support of farmers was also taken out in front of the Indian high commission in London, showing pro-Khalistan posters, besides raising anti-India slogans. Not only this, but a letter was also written on December 3 in support of farmers with signatures of as many as 36 UK MPs. The letter mostly comprises the name of those MPs who are known to have opposed India on different issues.
