Under pressure from Donald Trump’s punishing tariffs, Prime Minister Narendra Modi appears to have rediscovered his love for farmers.
Modi on Thursday said he was ready to pay a “heavy personal price” to protect the interests of farmers, casting himself as a saviour while appearing to play the victim card a day after the US President ramped up pressure on India by slapping an additional 25 per cent tariff over and above the 25 per cent announced earlier.
“The interests of farmers are our top priority. India will never compromise with the interests of its farmers, livestock holders and fishermen. And I know that I will have to personally pay a very heavy price for this, but I am ready,” he said.
Shifting from “I” to “desh” and “Bharat”, Modi, speaking at the inaugural session of an international conference dedicated to agriculture scientist M.S. Swaminathan, continued: “Today, India is ready for the farmers of my country, for the fisherfolk of my country and the livestock holders of my country.”
The Opposition was quick to point to the yearlong farmers’ agitation in 2020-21 against the Modi government’s three farm laws during which the peasants were subjected to police excesses and a vicious smear campaign by the BJP and its ecosystem. Over 750 farmers were reported to have died during the protest, mostly because of exposure to the vagaries of nature during the prolonged protest on the roads.
Often, the government used brutal methods to beat back the protest vigil, especially when the farmers laid siege to Delhi, encircling the capital from the Punjab-Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh ends, and tried to enter the capital.
While Modi remained impervious to the protests, even calling the protesters “andolanjeevis”, his ministers went to the extent of labelling them Khalistanis and Naxalites. Finally, after a year, Modi had to backtrack and withdraw the farm laws.
Predominantly Sikh and Jat farmers staged the yearlong protest on the borders
of Delhi.
It was not clear how Modi would suffer heavy personal loss to protect the interests of farmers, but government sources said the Prime Minister’s remarks on Thursday should be seen in the context of the tariff arm-twisting by the Trump administration.
Sources said the US was demanding zero-duty access to the Indian market for all its agricultural and dairy products, which Delhi was firmly resisting in the ongoing trade negotiations.
Modi, however, did not make any reference to the steep US tariffs. His ministers sought to tap into the Prime Minister’s strongman image, with one of them saying: “The PM’s remarks should be seen as a strong message to Trump that India would not succumb to any pressure. Farmer interest is non-negotiable for us.”
The minister said the US was using India’s decision to continue to purchase Russian oil as an excuse to browbeat Delhi to get access to India’s market for its agricultural and dairy products. He said Trump was seeking to escalate pressure on India ahead of US trade negotiators’ scheduled visit to Delhi on August 25.
Underlining his commitment to farmers, Modi said his government was working towards raising farmers’ income. “Our government has recognised the farmers’ strength as the foundation of the nation’s progress,” he said.
The Opposition questioned the genuineness of Modi’s concern for farmers.
“Now you are remembering the farmers. Where was your concern for them when they were stopped from coming to Delhi? The agitating farmers were termed Naxalites. All their (BJP’s) pretensions are getting exposed,” Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray told reportersin Delhi.
Thackeray criticised Modi also for his “inability” to give a strong response to Trump. “Trump is mocking our Prime Minister on a daily basis and Modi is unable to give a strong reply,” he said.