The 2020-21 farmers’ protest towards the now-scrapped three agricultural legal guidelines gained headlines when farmers braved the bone-chilling chilly, sweltering warmth and document rainfall. In keeping with farmer leaders, over 700 farmers died through the year-long agitation.
Over two years, farmers have been on the streets once more because the Centre appeared to have ignored the hearth of discontentment that was briefly doused by the assurances given in December 2021 when the farmers’ protest 1.0 was referred to as off.
The delayed initiative to supply a authorized framework for the MSP regime resulted in a recent agitation by farmers, titled ‘Delhi Chalo‘ (let’s go to Delhi) march by Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) (non-political).
However there’s a marked distinction between the farmers’ protest of 2020-21 and the one launched on Tuesday. Allow us to now element the variations and components affecting the farmers’ protest 2.0 in Punjab’s politics:
FARMERS’ PROTEST LACKS STRENGTH, INTENSITY
This 12 months’s farmers’ protest is experiencing overtones of id politics as solely two outstanding farmer unions led by Jagjit Singh Dallewal and Sarwan Singh Pandher are spearheading it. The agitation additionally lacks each energy and depth, as nearly all of the farmers’ unions have distanced themselves from it and are competing with one another.
Huge weapons like Balbir Singh Rajewal, Rakesh Tikait, Gurnam Singh Chaduni and Joginder Singh Ugrahan, apart from others, have introduced separate protests to precise solidarity with the farmers. They’re, nevertheless, shying away from becoming a member of the ‘Delhi Chalo‘ march which has been stopped by the Haryana Police on two interstate borders.
Apparently, the 2020-21 farmers’ protest drew help from nearly all sections of society from college students, staff, politicians and activists, apart from singers and filmmakers. Nonetheless, the renewed farmer agitation even lacks direct help from the farmers’ unions.
HOW FARMERS’ STIR SHAPED PUNJAB POLITICS
Punjab began experiencing the unwanted side effects of the farmers’ protest throughout and after the meeting polls held in 2022.
Regardless of having facilitated the farmers’ agitation, Congress was voted out of energy and bagged 23.1 per cent of votes towards a 38.64 per cent share in 2017.
The worst-hit was the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), which snapped 24-year-old ties with the BJP on the difficulty of the now-scrapped farm legal guidelines. The occasion’s vote share nosedived to 18.38 per cent in 2022 in comparison with 30.6 per cent in 2017.
AAP, which swept the Punjab polls, made a number of guarantees, together with MSP to the farmers, apart from free electrical energy for all home customers and bagged 42.01 per cent of votes.
The anger towards the BJP was seen through the meeting polls when it confronted a backlash from farmers in villages.
Regardless of having partnered with Captain Amarinder Singh, who resigned from the Congress and fashioned the Punjab Lok Congress, BJP might solely win two seats. So as to add salt to harm, Amarinder Singh couldn’t even win from his personal seat.
POLITICAL PARTIES’ REACTION TO FARMERS’ PROTEST 2.0 IN PUNJAB
Following within the footsteps of the Congress authorities in 2020, the Bhagwant Mann-led AAP authorities is leaving no stone unturned to woo the farmers’ unions. Whereas the farmers have been allowed to march in direction of New Delhi, the Punjab authorities additionally objected to the Haryana Police’s motion.
Bhagwant Mann had even requested the union authorities to just accept the farmers’ calls for. He referred to the Haryana Police barricading interstate obstacles as “creating a border between India and Punjab”. A letter was additionally shot off to neighbouring Haryana for not utilizing drones to drop tear gasoline canisters.
The opposition Congress can also be competing with AAP to woo the farmers’ unions. A delegation led by Punjab Congress chief Amarinder Singh Raja Warring lately met the chief secretary and demanded an FIR towards Haryana Dwelling Minister Anil Vij and police for utilizing tear gasoline shells and rubber bullets to disperse the farmers at interstate borders.
Politicians have additionally accused Haryana of focusing on farmers inside Punjab.
AKALIS STALL PLANS TO RE-STITCH ALLIANCE WITH BJP
SAD, which was busy re-booting itself after the Bahujan Samaj Social gathering (BSP) broke the alliance with it, acquired one other setback after the farmers’ unions renewed their agitation towards the central authorities.
There was hypothesis that the BJP and SAD have been in a temper to re-stitch their alliance for the Lok Sabha polls. After breaking its ties with BJP, the occasion allied with BSP in 2021.
The Akali Dal is silent on the alliance. Sources near the occasion stated the leaders, through the latest core committee assembly, determined to not pursue a reliance on the BJP until the farmers’ calls for are met.
The occasion has introduced full help for the farmers.
BJP’S RURAL PUSH TAKES HIT
The renewed farmers’ agitation has badly hit the BJP’s rural push plans.
The Haryana Police’s motion towards the protesting farmers additionally added to the BJP’s woes in Punjab, the place the occasion was on the receiving finish.
The BJP, to pursue its rural push, had appointed Captain Amarinder Singh and former Punjab Congress chief Sunil Jakhar as members of the occasion’s nationwide executives to woo Jat and Hindu voters.
A number of BJP leaders are silent on the ‘Delhi Chalo‘ march and are avoiding talking concerning the agitation. Three rounds of talks between farmer leaders and the Centre have been held, however no breakthrough was achieved.
The fourth spherical of talks can be held on Sunday.
Captain Amarinder Singh and Sunil Jakhar, who led Rahul Gandhi’s tractor march in 2020 towards farm legal guidelines, have drawn flak from the farmers’ unions. Ekta Ugrahan, a farmers’ union, has introduced it can protest towards Captain Amarinder Singh and Sunil Jakhar.
Captain Amarinder Singh had hit out at Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar over a heavy-handed crackdown on farmers from Punjab marching via his state to Delhi in 2020. Each leaders have taken vocal positions to help farmer agitation and 2020.
However, now the renewed farmers’ agitation has left them excessive and dry.
BJP’S DAMAGE CONTROL
Having failed to deal with the MSP concern and now dealing with the renewed farmers’ agitation, the BJP has now swung into motion and started injury management.
The Centre, in an try and appease the farmers’ unions, has held three bilateral-level talks with them in Chandigarh. Because the three conferences held on February 8, February 12 and February 15 remained inconclusive, the Centre has deliberate a fourth spherical of talks on Sunday.
This time, the central authorities has modified its technique and determined to contain huge weapons, that are lacking from the ‘Delhi Chalo‘ march.
Makes an attempt have been being made to settle the MSP legislation demand, apart from discovering an answer to different points being raised by the agitating farmers’ unions.
With all eyes on the essential Sunday assembly, sources near the farmers’ unions stated the Centre can provide a written assurance to the farmers on the MSP legislation. Nonetheless, the calls for, together with a month-to-month pension for the farmers and farm labourers, apart from waving off their loans, could take a backseat.
Political analysts say that the BJP’s rural push plan in Punjab might get wings if its technique to appease the farmers’ unions was profitable.