Marathon Protests End, Farmers Head Home: What Did We Learn?

The ongoing Parliament session had several important bills to be tabled; however, repealing the three farm laws was the session's highlight. For more than a year now, Indian farmers have been stationed at the outskirts of the national capital demanding the government to take back the laws. Now, the Centre finally agreed to all the suggestions of the protesting farm unions, including their demand of 'unconditional withdrawal' of all the cases registered against the farmers and their supporters.

The joint platform of farmers- the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM), agreed to the government's latest proposal that reached them in the form of an 'unsigned note' and requested the government to send a formal proposal.

'Victory Day' On December 11

The farmers would start returning to their homes after December 11, when they would celebrate 'Vijay Diwas' to commemorate the struggle across all state borders, toll plazas and protest places throughout the country. The celebrations were postponed as a mark of respect for the 13 lives lost due to the chopper crash in Tamil Nadu. The Indian Express quoted SKM leader Balbir Singh Rajewal said, "The Andolan has been suspended. The Unions will meet on January 15 to review if the government implements the proposals agreed upon."

So far, India's stringent laws have safeguarded the sale of agricultural produce. Moreover, the high subsidies protected the farmers from untoward market forces and unprecedented weather conditions, and the farmers believed that there was no need to repeal that.

The protests began in November 2020, when hundreds of farmers moved from their homes to the Singhu border to protest against the three farm laws, namely, the Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020; Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020; and Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020.

What Are The Key Takeaways?

Even after more than seven decades of independence, India's economy remains heavily dependent on the farmers. Therefore, farmers form the biggest voting bloc in the country. With elections just around the corner in Punjab and Uttar Pradesh, the Prime Minister's announcement of taking back the three laws on the birth anniversary of the first Sikh Guru was a strategically planned move to earn back the trust.

The political backflip of India's ruling party is not the first of its kind; the BJP had also made a U-Turn in the Land Acquisition Act in its first term that ended in 2019. Therefore, it is clear that PM Modi is not willing to put the Party's political position at stake for policy decisions. BJP has always made clear is its pragmatic approach in politics. BJP has walked in the footsteps of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, which never risked its political prowess, especially in their home states like Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat.

The biggest reason for the farmer to battle against biting winters, rains and scorching summers was that the laws were anti-farmers, but they were also favouring the gains of big businesses. The BJP government has always been the receiving end of the backlash whenever it has rolled out policies favouring big companies. While considerable protests after the Citizenship Amendment Act was passed, the protests eventually lost the fire. Similarly, nothing big could destabilise BJP's stand of striking down Article 370 and the special status of Jammu and Kashmir.

The farm protests ceded all boundaries of states, religion and caste. The farmers came together as a Union and stood their ground in the most turbulent times. The massive unity, the approaching elections and the never-ending will of the farmers to continue their struggle knocked the right doors. It pushed the government to rethink its decision and finally agree to what the nation wanted.

Though Prime Minister Modi's big announcement brought an end to the marathon protests of the farmers, the latter has put up further demands for the government if it wanted them to return. In the winter session of the Parliament, the government would also discuss measures to ensure the minimum support price (MSP) to all the farmers. The governments of Haryana and Uttar Pradesh also demanded compensation from the government for the next of kin of all those who died in the protests and a government job to one member of the family. However, last week, the government told the Parliament that they had no records of the people who died in the farm protests.

The Union Government has also promised the farmers that they would not take any concrete decision concerning the Electricity (Amendment) Bill without discussing it with SKM first. While the government has primarily maintained silence over the arrest and dismissal of Union Junior Home Minister Ajay Mishra, the farm unions have said that they will decide while taking a call on the suspension of the protests.

Standing Against Draconian Acts

While most decisions have been agreed to on both ends, the final and formal call is awaited with the government's letterhead before the farmers eventually withdraw from the borders. Almost all the political parties supported the farm protests; at the end of the day, the credit of having reversed the farm laws solely goes to hundreds of farmers who have braved severe weather conditions, lost their loved ones and won the battle of their rights. Therefore, political parties must note how to stand up against draconian acts passed by the governments in power.

The moral of the story is that even though reforming India's agriculture sector is a much-needed task, the governments cannot decide what might or might not suit the farmers. An in-depth study, followed by pilot initiatives in smaller regions, would give a bird's eye view of how the reform would work on a macro level. While the onus of the reforms lies at the table of the Party in power, consulting with stakeholders, measuring the pros and cons of the decision should be taken note of, and adequate measures should be prepared well in advance in case the reform fails. India is an agricultural economy, and we cannot overlook the needs and wants of the food providers.

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