The Congress is seeing Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s abrupt decision to repeal the contentious farm laws as neither a moral awakening nor a remorseful retreat, insisting that the politician had finally capitulated to electoral compulsions.
Arguing that the spectre of defeat in the upcoming Assembly elections, particularly in Uttar Pradesh, had forced Modi to abandon the “pro-corporate” agriculture laws that he had so vigorously pursued through vicious propaganda and coercive tactics against the farmers, the Congress said the government should be punished for the “crime”.
The Opposition party said Modi’s intent was still suspect given his “anti-farmer” track record.
Rahul Gandhi tweeted that the farmers’ satyagraha had defeated the government’s arrogance.
“The country’s annadatas (food providers) have made arrogance bow its head through satyagraha. Congratulations on this victory against injustice! Jai Hind, Jai Hind ka kisan,” Rahul tweeted in Hindi.
The Congress parliamentarian said in another tweet that it was also a victory for those who could not return to their homes. “Defeat is only theirs who could not save the lives of the annadaatas,” Rahul wrote, sharing a video that had images from the farmers’ yearlong protest.
He released a letter to the farmers congratulating them for their triumph and asked the Prime Minister to announce the road map for doubling their income instead of “plotting loot” by “crony capitalists”. The Congress has decided to celebrate Kisan Vijay Diwas across the country on Saturday.
Congress communications chief Randeep Surjewala said: “The anti-farmer conspiracy, the might of the crony capitalists and Modi’s conceit have been vanquished. The country will not forget that Modi rolled back his crime after the death of over 700 farmers, a sordid saga of torture and coercion and sinister plots to defame and demoralise.
“The country will punish the BJP for this crime — for digging up national highways, planting nails on roads, erecting blockades and barbed wire and (issuing) orders to break heads of farmers.”
Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said in Lucknow that Modi’s somersault was caused by the fear of defeat in Uttar Pradesh.
Former finance minister P. Chidambaram tweeted: “What cannot be achieved by democratic protests can be achieved by the fear of impending elections! The Prime Minister’s announcement on the withdrawal of the three farm laws is not inspired by a change of policy or a change of heart. It is impelled by fear of elections! Anyway, it is a great victory for the farmers and for the Congress party which was unwavering in its opposition to the farm laws.”
The Congress veteran added: “If there is fear of losing the next election, the Prime Minister will admit that demonetisation was a Himalayan blunder, admit that Chinese troops have intruded into Indian territory and occupied our land, admit that the CAA is a patently discriminatory law.”
Another Congress senior, Jairam Ramesh, weighed in: “First, bulldoze laws in Parliament. Then face unprecedented protests. Thereafter, confront election realities in Uttar Pradesh and Punjab, particularly. Finally, after much appeal, repeal. Kisan-ity prevails at last! I salute the tenacity of our kisans who did not give up.”
He said in another tweet: “Alas, if only there was a way of repealing the November 8, 2016, decision (demonetisation) by Headline-jeevi. This was really a demonic move, for which the country is still paying.”
Congress president Sonia Gandhi said in a statement: “Truth, justice and non-violence have won today, along with the struggle and sacrifices of the farmers. The arrogance and conspiracy of dictators lie defeated. All decisions should be taken in democracy after consulting the stakeholders. Hope the Modi government will learn something for the future. The government should work for the welfare of farmers and ensure they get MSP (minimum support price).”
The Modi government’s insensitive handling of the yearlong farmers’ protest had drawn condemnation within the country and abroad. Every trick was played to malign the farmers, with BJP leaders branding them as Khalistanis, Maoists and Pakistani and Chinese agents.
The farmers were not allowed to enter the national capital, compelling thousands of men, women and children to suffer extreme weather conditions as they picketed Delhi’s borders for a year.
While Modi neither visited the farmers nor directed his party leaders to stop the character assassination, he met delegations of peasants organised by the BJP to give credence to the false perception that the protesters were not farmers.
The Prime Minister had got several opportunities to intervene and resolve the crisis — the last being the Lakhimpur Kheri massacre of farmers by a car belonging to a Union minister and being allegedly driven by his son.
Union junior home minister Ajay Mishra Teni, who owns the Thar jeep that ran over four farmers and a journalist, continues to be in his post, even sharing a dais with Amit Shah. Nor has Modi expressed any sympathy in public for the dead farmers.
The government’s attitude was manifested in the brazen stonewalling of Rahul’s attempt to offer condolences to the deceased farmers in the Lok Sabha, the filing of sedition cases against activists for expressing solidarity with peasants and the massive propaganda run by friendly media outlets to sully the movement.
Even on Friday while withdrawing the laws, Modi claimed that he had failed to convince “only a few farmers (kuchh kisan)”.
Surjewala called attention to a series of actions Modi has taken after assuming power that proves that the Prime Minister is “anti-farmer”.
“He stopped bonus for crops and told the states that minimum support price won’t be given if bonus is provided. Then he attacked the Land Acquisition Act, relenting only after a massive protest led by Rahul Gandhi. His government filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court saying that giving 50 per cent profit over input costs, which had been promised in the elections, was not possible.”
The Congress spokesperson added: “Then he brought a flawed crop insurance scheme enabling his crony capitalists to make a profit of Rs 27,000 crore. He followed it up by increasing the price of diesel and levying GST on agriculture, leading to increase of Rs 25,000 per hectare in input cost.”
Surjewala asked the Prime Minister why the farm laws could not be scrapped through an ordinance if the tenures of the CBI and ED chiefs could be increased through that route.
