Farmers struggle for survival and battle of ballot for political power by stakeholders in Punjab must avoid confrontation

 

Battle for political power in Punjab and farmers fight for survival must adjust to co-exist

Ground Zero

Jagtar Singh

The battle for political power by the parties in Punjab must not only avoid coming into confrontation with the farmers struggle for survival but should also try to supplement it.

The farmers leaders in turn should be extremely cautious about the strategy and tactics of the struggle and avoid any signal of even remotely helping any political party in the state.

The reason is simple. Punjab is different from Uttar Pradesh and Haryana. The BJP is in power at the centre and these two states and hence defeating this party must be part of the strategy and tactics of this struggle to hit Prime Minister Narendra Modi whose government has thrust these anti-people farm legislations on the farmers that promote pro-corporate model.

The BJP is a minor player in Punjab as the main stakeholders are the ruling Congress, Shiromani Akali Dal and the Aam Aadmi Party.

The unique and path-breaking interaction yesterday in Chandigarh between the representatives of those fighting for survival and the stakeholders to the domain of power and pelf should be assessed in this framework.

Arrogance is the common denominator in case of the people belonging to the power domain and in this unique exercise, they lined up before those who used to be treated as trash earlier by them.

This is the first stage of struggle for survival dictating the dynamics of political power struggle.

It is pertinent to mention here that every struggle in history had political overtones as economic forces interacts with political dynamics at every level. The objective of the farmers’ struggle to hit the BJP hard in the states in which it is ruling and thereby prepare ground for its ouster in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls is logical.

In the process, the Shiromani Akali Dal too has suffered some bruises  as the party was part of the Narendra Modi government at the centre as alliance partner of the BJP, the relationship that dated back to 1996.

Being part of the Modi government, the Akali Dal was party to the adoption of the three contentious farm laws that were promulgated first through ordinance. It was a party because the laws and the ordinance have to be first cleared by the cabinet and Harsimrat Kaur Badal from Akali Dal was member of the cabinet and hence party to the proceedings. Cabinet is a collective responsibility and no minister can disown any decision taken by it. This is the baggage that the Shiromani Akali Dal has to carry.

Moreover, in the Akali Dal and the House of Badals, Harsimrat Kaur Badal was the first to aggressively support these laws by inviting three news channels that telecast her interview. And the very next day, her husband and Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal held an emergency press conference on a single point agenda and that was the ratification of the support extended by Harsimrat Kaur Badal to the ordinances.

The last to support the bills from the Badal family was its patriarch and 5-time chief minister Parkash Singh Badal.

That is the exact chronology.

She resigned as the struggle intensified and the Akali Dal ended the alliance which is now being projected as a ‘big sacrifice’. The present generation of Akali leaders should read glorious history of Shiromani Akali Dal to understand the definition of sacrifice. People even quit their seats in Parliament but never claimed the same as sacrifice. They must listen to farewell speech of Bibi Rajinder Kaur in the Rajya Sabha of February 21, 1984.

At another level, all these parties including Congress advocate same free market model of development. The Congress is now opposing these laws only because it is in opposition.

However, the political parties must be allowed the space to carry on their  activities as that is  their legitimate right but thus should not  in any way undermine the struggle for survival. Those commanding the farm struggle should realise that political parties too can strengthen this struggle in their own way.

The problem with the political parties is that they have not made much contribution to this struggle. It is not necessary to use the platform of farm struggle that has been rightly denied to them. These parties could have organised kisan conferences to supplement the efforts of the farm organisations. This is what is lacking. The political parties too should introspect about their role.

The villagers at their own are taking decision to ban leaders of every political party for election purpose.

The terms of political discourse are changing.

Both the farm struggle and the fight for political power by political stakeholders  have to co-exist.

The people who are not directly part of the farm struggle must realise that even during Covid, this is the sector that has sustained the economy and this exactly is the reason that the Modi government is facilitating its takeover by the corporate sector with the implementation of these laws and not re-opening negotiations with the farm leaders.

It is pertinent to mention here that barring the protest against Rowlatt Act symbolised by Jallianwala Bagh killings, the freedom struggle especially in this region was dominated by fighters from the countryside.

The political battles in Punjab and the farm struggle must complement and supplement each other rather than coming into confrontation. The political parties should change their strategy and tactics and accordingly, the farm struggle must allow them space to function freely in every street and corner. Both these battles can co-exist subject to accommodation. It is time for the arrogant political leaders too to face reality. The past record of these parties reflects their lack of commitment to pro-people causes. Their functioning is the same when in power. These leaders must convince the people that they are trying to change themselves.

It is in this context that yesterday’s interaction at People’s Convention Centre in Chandigarh was unique.

However, diktats must be avoided.