New Delhi: In an exclusive conversation with ETV Bharat, Dr Ashok Dhawale the President of All India Kisan Sabha said that the Modi government will be forced to repeal the three farm laws and enact a law for the MSP guarantee.
On the completion of 10 months of protest against the three farm laws and demand for the legal guarantee on MSP, Samyukt Kisan Morcha had given a call for Bharat Bandh on Monday. Farmer Unions associated with the Morcha came on roads across the country and a mixed response of Bandh was observed in almost every state.
Most of the opposition parties and trade unions also supported the call in solidarity with the Farmer Unions. All India Kisan Sabha organised a symbolic protest in the national capital and a group of AIKS members led by the President of AIKS Dr Ashok Dhawale and General Secretary Hanan Mollah marched towards Jantar Mantar road but were stopped by the security as the permission for a sit-in protest had already been denied by Delhi Police. The call for Bandh was between 10 am to 6 pm and roads were blocked in many parts of the country bringing traffic to a complete halt for hours.
ETV Bharat had a conversation with Dr Ashok Dhawale, the President of All India Kisan Sabha who claimed that their call was a huge success with support from every section of the society. "The success of Bharat Bandh call actually shows the anger of people against all policies of the Modi government. Along with the two fundamental demands of repealing the farm laws and legal guarantee for MSP, some other crucial demands include repeal of new labour codes, protest against the price rise, Extension of MGNREGA for Agricultural labourers and doubling the number of working days and also the wages under the scheme" said Ashok Dhawale.
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The protest which started a year ago on the issue of Farm Laws and MSP has now also taken over other national issues like privatization bid and monetization by the Modi regime. "They are now out to sell the entire country and public sector to foreign and the domestic corporate lobby. This was the overriding issue which was there in the country and that's why crores of people responded to the Bharat Bandh" said Dr Dhawale.
After successful completion of Bharat Bandh, the next step of Samyukt Kisan Morcha would be to launch campaigns against BJP and RSS in election states especially Uttar Pradesh and Uttrakhand where protesting farm unions have already started mobilising support in their favour. "Elections are due in three states within six months. Now Samyukt Kisan Morcha has already decided that we will challenge the BJP-RSS in UP, Uttrakhand and also Punjab as we did in Kerala, Tamilnadu and West Bengal some months ago" said the AIKS President.
This has been the longest protest against any government after independence in India. The implementation of three farm laws was put on hold by the Supreme Court but despite that Farmers continue to protest till government repeals them. However, the government after 11 rounds of talks with the protesting unions has been adamant that they will not repeal the three laws. The offer for some necessary amendment was made by the government but the SKM rejected it. Now there has been deadlock between both sides for eight months as no talk could happen after the 26 January incident. What started with the issue of Farm laws and MSP has now turned into a full-fledged campaign against the Modi government, BJP and their allies.
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"Not just India but such kind of a protest has not happened anywhere in the world. The laws are totally pro-corporate and the protest will not be withdrawn till the three farm laws are repealed and the law for guaranteed purchase on MSP is enacted. If these laws are implemented, not only the MSP and government procurement will end but all the food grains which are stored in the warehouses of FCI will go to corporates and the Public Distribution System will also end" said Dr Dhawale.
The Samyukt Kisan Morcha claims they have gathered the support of more than 500 Farmer Unions from all over the country against the Farm laws and in favour of their demand but there are Farmer Unions who have supported the three farm laws with the demand of some necessary amendments. RSS affiliate Bhartiya Kisan Sangh, one of the largest farmers organisations in the country is of the view that the three farm laws will benefit farmers in the long run but some amendments are necessary before their implementation.
Farmer Leader VM Singh who formed a separate federation of Farmer Organisations after being shown the door by Samyukt Kisan Morcha has also been mobilising farmers and convincing them to agree with the amendments. However, the government is yet to entertain either the Bhartiya Kisan Sangh or the Rashtriya Kisan Morcha formed by Sardar VM Singh.
"The Farmer Organisations so-called supporting the three farm laws, we are challenging them to get even 50 people on roads. They are brokers who have no support base. If they had some ground, the picture would have been different. We are of the clear opinion that these laws are fatally flawed. The entire direction of the three farm laws goes towards increasing the profits of corporates and mere tinkering with these laws will not help" concluded Dr Ashok Dhawale.
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