After the farm bill was introduced and legislated in the Parliament last week, there has been much palpable discontent.
I don’t understand why a sense of fear limits the Centre from listening to the agitating farmers. Why at all is the Centre dissociating and distancing itself from building a consensus?
Ideally, this should have cleared the air on the Centre’s position and conduct in regard to this legislation. Bihar, in 2006, made a similar move by repealing the Agricultural Produce Marketing Commission (APMC) Act.
It was referred to as ‘Sushasan babu’s’ brainchild. But, what next, as opposition leaders, including Pappu Yadav and Tejashwi Yadav, are leading the farmer protests?
In a month from now, Bihar will head to state assembly polls. I believed that Nitish Kumar will turn up and count on the successes of the abolition of the APMC act. Alas! he might not as he now probably fears fear losing the support of the Economically Backward Classes (EBCs) and the Mahadalits, The NDA coalition’s treasured and trusted vote base in the state.
I have a simple question to ask of him: After the APMC Act was repealed, why was infrastructural development not promoted? Why was there a hurry to dissolve the minimum support price (MSP) if it wasn’t to protect the farmers’ interest? If farm-modernization was your argument, Mr Kumar, then why do we find farmers out on the streets in Bihar?
Why are they getting attracted to your political opponents and rivals? If you had lived up to your commitments, then your opponents would have stayed behind. Mr Kumar, why is it that your re-election matters more for you than anything now?
What is the purpose of manufacturing manifestos when you aren’t able to live up to the aspirations of the people? People have lost faith in you but still might end up voting for you because of the lack of co-ordination and co-operation between the opposition, in terms of an ‘alliance arithmetic’.
Nitish ji, murmurs can be heard in your alliance too, as Chirag Paswan is reportedly unsatisfied with your leadership. Manjhi has chosen your alliance for his lack of options in the grand alliance. Upendra Kushwaha, at the moment, is undecided.
Please ask your National Spokesperson, KC Tyagi, to come with some clarity. We need to know if you wholly stand by and support the Narendra Modi government on the bills, or if you are looking for amendments to the bill, especially on the procurement practices and the revising of the MSP.