Why the farmers' protest is like no other- genuine movement with no political backing, driven solely by the interests of the farming community

DELHI DIARIES: Nadda is all-smiles about Hyderabad, but who is that 'sneaky little fellow' in Delhi

Farmers stage a protest at Singhu border during their 'Delhi Chalo' march against the Centre's new farm laws, in New Delhi: PTI

The Telegraph   |  TT   |    06.12.20  :   Some observers are comparing the ongoing farmers’ protests with the anti-corruption movement led by Anna Hazare during the Manmohan Singh regime. But there are fundamental differences between the two, making such a comparison odious. While there were always tell-tale signs of organized corporate backing for Hazare’s movement, it has now been established that the RSS-BJP also backed these forces. While some of the key players of that movement, such Kiran Bedi and Ramdev, turned out to be representatives of the Bharatiya Janata Party, another founder member of India Against Corruption which led the stir, Prashant Bhushan, recently confirmed the involvement of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. With Arvind Kejriwal launching his party, there was little doubt that the Hazare show was a camouflaged political initiative, not a people’s movement. 

But this is a genuine farmers’ movement with no political backing, driven solely by the interests of the farming community. Although the BJP has alleged Congress conspiracy and some farmers’ unions do have leftist links but their motive is not political. A section of the Congress is imagining its role by pointing out the passionate backing of the farmers’ cause by the Punjab chief minister, Amarinder Singh, and Rahul Gandhi’s tractor rally which set the stage for this movement. But the farmers movement has evolved on the strength of farmers and has so far brooked no political interference. There is no Hazare-like figure leading the movement, and the control is firmly in the hands of a broad-based collective leadership. Last, but not the least, this movement is not propped up by the powerful corporate lobby. It is, on the contrary, against this lobby. Any comparison is thus preposterous.

Basking in the limelight

The stunning performance of the BJP in the Hyderabad local body polls has elated party boss, JP Nadda. Leaders close to him said that even though this was a municipal corporation, the results have given the party chief more joy than the Bihar assembly polls. Barring Karnataka, the BJP has not been able to make meaningful inroads in any other southern state. Nadda believes the Hyderabad performance would help the party spread its wings not just in Telangana but also Andhra Pradesh and send out a message to neighbouring Tamil Nadu and even Kerala. “Those who branded BJP as a party of the north must take note,” tweeted the Hyderabad election in-charge, Bhupender Yadav. The Bihar and Hyderabad performances have finally helped Nadda emerge out of the shadow of his predecessor and the home minister, Amit Shah. When the results were declared, Shah congratulated Nadda and his team. Many in party corridors are wondering whether Shah made a mistake by quitting the post of the party boss and joining the government. After all, besides the prime minister, the second man who gets credit and even prominence on posters is the party chief. Shah is missing all this since he joined the government.

Heated exchange

 On Wednesday, the Punjab CM, Captain Amarinder Singh, called his Delhi counterpart, Arvind Kejriwal, a “sneaky little fellow” for notifying the The Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Ordinance, 2020. The ordinance is now one of the farm Acts ostensibly aimed at promoting trade in agricultural products outside State-regulated Agricultural Produce Market Committees — a step that farmer activists say will make the APMCs redundant and expose peasants to the vagaries and speculation in the private grain market. Singh’s outburst was part of a spat initiated by the Aam Aadmi Party which called him a “BJP CM” after he appealed to farmers to lift the blockades of highways and go to a designated protest site in Delhi. Since then, both sides have issued statements slamming each other almost everyday, in an attempt to shore up their pro-farmer credentials in Punjab where Congress rules and AAP is the primary Opposition.

Danger ahead

The upcoming Bodoland Territorial Council polls in Assam has seen Covid-19 safety protocols being thrown to the winds. Padyatras, bike rallies, bicycle rallies and massive poll rallies have become a routine, giving one the feeling that the pandemic is over. All leading contenders are equally responsible for the violations but it is the state health minister, Himanta Biswa Sarma, who has attracted most attention and flak for not practising what he has been preaching. He has urged the masses not to lower their guard against Covid-19 because the second wave of infection, expected during the winter, could be even more severe. 

Yet, Sarma has been seen dancing on stage, among voters or riding without a helmet or sitting on the bonnet of an open jeep to connect with the masses. Such has been the defiance of the political class, that the Supreme Court hearing a suo motu case on Covid-19 management had to ask the Assam government to submit an affidavit on how it plans to manage electioneering for the  assembly polls early next year. Not without reason. Assam is among the worst-affected states with over 2.13 lakh infections and over 980 deaths. Worried Covid warriors hoped the death wish of the political class does not extract a heavy price from the masses.

Footnote

Campaigning for the high-stakes BTC polls has had its moments — at times literally reduced to a cat-and-mouse game between the BJP and the Bodoland People’s Front, an ally in the state but not in the BTC. If Himanta Biswa Sarma accused the BPF of letting loose cats everywhere, alluding to the contractor raj, senior BPF leader, Chandan Brahma, countered by describing the BJP as a mouse out to devour the BPF which they will protect by remaining alert just like a cat.