Modi makes U-turn on farm laws, but protest to continue at Singhu border

Singhu (Delhi-Haryana border): As Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday announced rollback of the three controversial farm laws, agitating farmers at the Singhu-Kundli border say that the struggle will continue till the laws are formally and legally withdrawn.

The surprise announcement was made by the Prime Minister on the morning of Guru Nanak Jayanti wherein he announced the decision to take back the farm laws and requested the protesting farmers to return to their home. While apologising to the nation, Modi on Friday morning said, "We regret we could not convince all farmers. Only a section of them was opposing the laws, but we kept trying to educate and inform them."

With much cheer and celebration at the protest site of Singhu border, farmers have said that the decision has been announced much too late by the government. Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee District President Gurpreet Singh spoke with Bizz Buzz on the latest U-turn by the central government on farm laws.

"The struggle is not just about the three farm laws anymore. There are other bills which are going to be tabled in the winter session such as Dairy Bill, Electricity Bill and Anti-Pollution Bill. The government should have consulted us before passing these laws in the first place. Feeling of anger and betrayal is not going to go away," Gurpreet said.

Farmer, though visibly enthralled, said that the entire period of agitation they were branded as terrorists or Khalistanis by the farm law supporters. A wave of anti-incumbency could be seen at the site with many branding the repeal of farm laws as a political move. Gurpreet says that the government came to the decision after calculating the reality of the situation.

"We want clarity on the Minimum Support Price for 23 crops. The movement will continue for some more time. We are not going back. In fact, by November 26, 1000 more farmers, on 300 tractors, from Amritsar cadre will join us here at Singhu border," he said.

Recalling a year of agitation, Harvinder Singh, Zone President of the Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee, alleged that a day after the incident of January 26, members of the ruling party and RSS, came to the Singhu border and attacked the protest site. A call was made by the farmer leaders to hold a tractor parade on the Republic Day, January 26th this year, wherein agitators marched to demand repeal of the Centre's contentious farm laws. In an unprecedented turn of events, many of the protesters reached the Red Fort driving tractors and entered the monument.

At Singhu border, farmers have alleged that the very next day, RSS supporters came to the site and created a tense environment. Gurpreet explained that the while the entire site has been barricaded with barbed wires, treatment against the protestors has been rather harsh and unwarranted.

"Conscious efforts were made to distort the movement. RSS goons came to our site and broke tents, washing machine and even attacked the langar site," he said. He also expressed dissatisfaction that the Prime Minister did not address the death of 750 farmers amid one year of agitation.

The latest announcement by PM Modi is being viewed as a precautionary measure by many at Singhu border with most agitators stating that the move will not change the anti-incumbency feeling towards the central government or the State government.

Senior leader at Singhu border told BizzBuzz that no immediate decision has been made on the next course of measures to be taken post the farm law withdrawal. However, a high-level meeting with farmers' committee is being expected in the coming days.

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