Landmark move to alter socio-political discourse

chandigarh, November 19

The promise to repeal the three farm laws by Prime Minister Narendra Modi today has brought a big relief for farmers in Punjab. This also brings down curtains on their yearlong struggle.

Farmer unions, who had been at the forefront of organising one of the biggest struggles, say that this is a big win for them as the government had been forced to accede to their demands. “A united struggle by all unions led to this win, where the Delhi Durbar had to repeal the black farm laws,” Dr Darshan Pal, a Samyukt Kisan Morcha leader, told The Tribune.

Rajinder Singh Deepsinghwala, vice-president, Kirti Kisan Union, said though the human cost of the struggle was too high, it was still a victory for the struggling farmers, who had been forced to leave their fields and protest on roads, but they were still seeking an assurance on Minimum Support Price (MSP) of crops. “This became a people’s movement and is a victory of their resistance against corporatisation of agriculture, which would have affected food prices and thus each person,” he said.

Farmers are relieved as the “economic threat” perceived by them through the three laws is over. Gurbakshish Singh, a farmer from Bimbar village near Nabha, said farmers were happy at the decision. “It will ensure economic stability for us,” he said.

Eminent economist RS Ghuman said: “Der aaye durust aaye (even if the announcement has come late, it is good). The gravity of agrarian crisis will be halted and could reduce if the MSP is also made legal right of farmers.”

Dr Parmod Kumar, eminent sociologist, said the development would lead to qualitative change in the socio-political discourse. — TNS