The fan club has been let loose to prove that farmers were greedy. The past is ignored deliberately that Indian farmers responded in 1966 with hard labour and their blood and sweat to reserve the honour of India. From 1947 to 1966, India had a shortfall of more than ten percent in grain needs for food to hungry millions. The Indian pride had to be tucked down under the armpits and the Indian Prime Minister’s were forced to stand on the door steps of rich nations with a begging bowl in their hands for five million tonnes of inferior wheat or red coarse grain to feed hungry millions. Indira Gandhi then jeered as a dumb-doll helped to end yearly humiliation by introducing the Green Revolution to improve productivity and productions. With positive response by grain producing farmers of North India in five years the grain production increase from 53 million tonnes to 104 million tonnes to end the yearly humiliation of standing at door steps of rich nations with a begging bowl in hand. The government also introduced the regulated mandatory minimum price to farmers as a reward to their response with hard labour for preserving the national honour. Farming community had thus responded to a national cause and not the trading class that did not see the national needs beyond its own pennies.
As the NaMo government went through hurried passage of laws to introduce new concepts to encourage entry of and play for big players to the retail trade of 1.2 million crore, the government went through the move of handing over the power levers in private hands of traders though changes in the market year system. Not only the system that prevailed successfully for five decades was given a go bye but also ended the fundamental right to seek justice against arbitrary decisions of the establishment.
The fan club was brought in to deride on the social media the grain farmers for moving quickly on war path by rushing to encircle Delhi to bend the NaMo regime to immediately withdraw the move for they had the lifeline in their hand. They produced the grain needed for survival of all. The government attempted to lure them to end their war by expressing willingness to attend to their interests but grain producers knew the butte side of their slice. Meanwhile other farmers also got wise to their losses in long term to join the battle. The new laws total repeal became the war cry and the grain farmers knew their advantage. Rich farmers were equally affected as they control eighty per cent of marketed surplus and had been reaping benefits for five decades. The Shiromani Akali Dal supported by rich farmers of Punjab saw no escape except in ending its three decades’ close political association with the BJP. The Prime Minister was left with no escape route as grain producers hold the main key in their hands. The Canadian Prime Minister caused resentment in the ruling regime by declaring his support to Indian farmers on war path. His support caused resentment but he had no alternative but rush to support the farmers of Punjab as immigrants from Punjab are major controlling elements in the Canadian economy with their big farms. Even big farm controlling sections in America would not allow their president Donald Trump to rush to rescue of his friend the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. It would not allow Europe or Australia to rush to rescue NaMo. They all have a stake in the Indian pie and benefit from his embarrassment.
His desperation is reflected in the social media usage for war of derision against Punjab farmers by his fan club. One message even claimed that Punjab farmers were unable so far to produce the high quality wheat as the Sharabati wheat in Madhya Pradesh. The war material author was not only ignorant but also unaware that Indian wheat is far more superior in nutrients but also in taste. The BJP ruled state had only two districts producing high quality wheat consumed by rich urban middle class as others cannot pay the high prices.
Indian grains producers have improved the quality of rice much that India is today the top rice exporter in the world to replace Malaysia. The Indian farmers have the most fatal weapon in their hand as their refusal to produce grains can force the government to end on its knees with world watching the war. The independent move by the home minister to persuade farmers to end their war also indicates the sharp differences within the ruling establishment. Others may jump on the war wagon as new laws make it clear that their fundamental right were also in jeopardy. Once his net impact of new law to put the establishment outside the purview and jurisdiction of the judiciary becomes evident others may be compelled to join the war. The opposition parties are so much trapped in their existential war that they are unable to perceive the gravity of the essence of this war.
FARMERS ON WARPATH
Vijay Sanghvi - 2020-12-11 15:27
Farming community of India is on war path against the NaMo government for its move that seeks to downgrade interests of the farming community to benefit the trading community as three farm law reforms indicate. The reforms not only end the assured minimum support price for farm products but take away also their fundamental right to move courts against injustice merely on pretext that new decisions were in good faith. No one can question actions to ascertain whether the so called good faith is justice or not. Farmers are not articulate to the injustice involved in the reform laws but they know which side their bread slice has butter. The grain producers of North initiated the war move sand now other farm community also. Their demand is to repeal new farm laws. The government is ready to meet their demand to preserve their interests but no repeal new law as it provides protection to the establishment. The war is thus essentially for preservation of the democratic structure and not merely for bread.