Continuing repression against protesting farmers may escalate anger among people and lead to intensification of the farmers’ movement, said the Working Group of the All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee’s (AIKSCC) on January 4, 2021.
The Group issued a warning following a tear gas attack on January 3 on farmers peacefully advancing towards Delhi from Shahjahanpur border. Protesters were physically obstructed, tear-gassed and sprayed with chilly at Rewari. This has left several farmers with watering of eyes and skin irritation, said the organisation.
Taking stock of protests across India, farmer leaders said Punjab’s Congress government used severe baton charge on Kirti Kisan Union (KKU) activists protesting against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP in Sangrur district. Similarly, the Madhya Pradesh government and the Uttar Pradesh administration continue to prevent peaceful protests using Section 144 undemocratically and illegally in the name of Covid-19 while mass activities of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and the BJP proceed unhindered.
Further, leaders criticised Senior Minister Nitin Gadkari for speaking against farmers’ demands on Sunday, “leaving little chance of success.”
“Gadkari said yesterday that the core problem is surplus food and MSP higher than open markets. Fact is India has a huge starving population, the RSS-BJP govt is insensitive to their needs. Those whose stomachs are full, believe that India should produce less food. India’s position in the list of hungry countries is sinking every year,” they said citing India’s scores on the Global Hunger Index at 38.8 points in 2000 to 30.3 points in 2019 to 27.2 points in 2020.
The Group stated that “uncaring” Ministers are talking about surplus food while staying oblivious of the current status quo.
Regarding the debate of open market versus MSP, members said that it is a far cry from Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s claim of standing with farmers. Across the globe, countries heavily subsidize farming so that overall crop prices remain low, said farmer leaders.
“Indian Ministers, dedicated to help Corporate purchase of cheap crops to earn high profits, say that the sale should be through open markets, not at MSP,” they said.
As for the affidavit submitted to the Punjab and Haryana High Court by Reliance Industries, the AIKSCC called it a “ploy” to serve business interests. The Group said the document, sent for fear of the growing anger of farmers, is full of false claims of never entering into the crop market or never taking over farmland.
“In Raigad, Maharashtra and other places large tracts of land have been taken over by Reliance and it must return all these before making any false claim,” said the AIKSCC.
As such, the farmers’ organisation stated that campaigns against Ambani and Adani products and services is akin to the Boycott of British goods during British rule and shall continue.
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