Amid Celebrations at Delhi Borders, a Question on Farmers’ Lips: ‘Why Did Govt Wait This Long’

Singhu/Tikri Border: Distribution of sweets, smiling faces, loud music and hands in the air expressing joy - these were among the scenes of jubilation that were witnessed at the national capital’s borders that had turned into protest sites.  On Friday, the agitating farmers said they were staying put despite Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s announcement to repeal the three contentious farm laws.

Having “lost trust” in the Central government, the farmers maintained that they “will not go back home”, until the latest decision is registered “in writing”, suggesting passage of a legislation repealing the laws in Parliament to formalise the withdrawal.

In a major move, Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the nation on Friday morning, announcing that his government had  decided to repeal the three farm laws, passage of which in Parliament in September last year had led to farmers’ bodies protesting up in arms across the country.

While “apologising to the nation,” Modi said in his address that the process to repeal the laws would be completed in the upcoming Parliament session, scheduled to begin December-end. He appealed to the protesting farmers to return to their homes now.

The surprise announcement came on the auspicious occasion of Guru Nanak Jayanti, a festival that holds great religious significance for the Sikh community, and also days ahead of the completion of one year of the farmers’ sit-in protest at Delhi borders.

Flaying the “reform-oriented” agriculture laws -- The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill, 2020; The Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020; and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill, 2020 -- thousands of farmers, mainly from Punjab, Haryana and the Western part of Uttar Pradesh, marched to the national capital on November 26 last year.

Stopped from entering the city, the march soon metamorphosed into a sit-in protest, with the agitating farmers deciding to squat at the border gates of the national capital -- at Singhu, Tikri and Ghazipur.

On Friday, “Kisan Ekta Zindabad” slogans rent the air at all the three borders. “The Modi government finally had to relent. This is a victory for the farmers' movement and millions others who joined us to voice their anger against those in power today,” said Sarabjit Singh, a farmer from Punjab’s Gurdaspur district, at Singhu border.

Pritam Singh of the Bharatiya Kisan Union (Ekta Ugrahan) at Tikri border said: “Finally, after almost a year of struggle, it is the farmers who emerged as victors. This is a great moment for the nation, as this movement speaks about the power of the people when they come together,” he said.

The celebrating farmers also questioned the timing of the announcement, with many believing that it had nothing but to appease the “voters” in poll-bound states, including Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Punjab, where slogans against farm laws have been reverberating in the past year. Said one farmer at Singhu border, who refused to be named: “Why did they wait for these many months. This government doesn’t think about anything else but politics and its gains.”

While many protesters seemed happy, some also cautioned against “celebrating too soon”, highlighting that the present Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) - led Central government has a reputation of “making jumlas”. ‘Jumla’ can be best described as a political slang denoting false promises made by the government, which had gained currency after the victory of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance government in 2014.

At Tikri border, Gurinder Kaur from Ludhiana, said: “This government has a history of making jumlas. And as such, we shouldn’t celebrate too soon. We have lost our trust in it. Let the government repeal the laws in the same way that they were passed - pass a Bill in Parliament.”

Inderjeet Singh from Kurukshetra, too, said this was “no time” to celebrate as only “one of the demands” of the farmers’ movement have been agreed by the Centre. “The main demand of the farmers regarding MSP and electricity laws haven’t still met,” he said, adding that until then the movement will not “stop”.

Farmers have been demanding a legislation to ensure minimum support price (MSP) for all crops, along with withdrawal of the amendment to the Electricity Law of 2003.

Asked about his response to PM Modi’s appeal to protesting farmers to return home now, Singh said that would be decided by the leaders of the movement - the leadership of Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM), an umbrella organisation that has been spearheading the movement.

On Friday,  the Samyukt Kisan Morcha termed Modi’s announcement a “historic first victory” for farmers.

“...there are several pending demands even now, and the Prime Minister Mr Modi knows about these pending matters. SKM hopes that the Government of India… will go the full length to fulfill all the legitimate demands of protesting farmers, including statutory legislation to guarantee a remunerative MSP,” the morcha said in a press statement on Friday, adding that a further decision would be taken in the days to come after an assessment of the developing situation.

On Friday, amidst the celebration, homage was also paid to farmers who lost their lives during the agitation, with SKM demanding that the Punjab government erect a memorial for the “bold martyrs.”

Gurmeet Singh from Punjab’s Barnala, however, believes that a memorial is not enough. “We must all demand compensation for the farmers who died as part of the agitation and a job for at least one of their family members.”

According to an estimate, nearly 700 farmers have died since November last year, due to various reasons, including suicide or contracting a disease.

Nodeep Kaur, a trade unionist, also welcomed the announcement on repeal of farm laws, saying this “win” will also play the role of “strengthening” the workers’ movement.

“We must remember that labour codes, also passed in September last year, haven’t been rolled back yet. The farmers’ win will surely strengthen the trade union movement. We must not stop until the anti-workers’ policies too are taken back,” she said, joining the celebrations at the Singhu border.