BJP Playing Fire By Dumping Farmers. It May Revive Militancy In Punjab

The thrashing of Punjab BJP's Abohar MLA Arun Narang and some other party leaders in Malout town is the manifestation of the protesting farmers' anger and frustration with the adamant attitude of the saffron party leaders over three new farm laws.

A large number of farmers allegedly thrashed BJP MLA from Abohar Arun Narang, tore his clothes and threw black ink on him in Punjab's Malout town on Saturday. The farmers were waiting for him near the BJP office. As soon as Narang reached there in his car, the farmers gheraoed him and threw ink on him. They also blackened his car.

After attack Narang has alleged “I have a hunch that the state government could be behind it though Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh and Samyukta Kisan Morcha have condemned the assault on BJP MLA .

The historic farmers' agitation at Delhi's borders and elsewhere in the country has completed more than 100 days from the time it was launched . It is turning out to be the largest and longest peaceful citizens' protest anywhere in the world.

However, the crowds gathered at Singhu, the epi-centre of the farmers’ protest have been thinning over the past several days due to harvesting. As such, Sanyukt Kisan Morcha leaders have decided to call off mahapanchayats in other states and re-focus on the Delhi borders.

SKM leaders say the crowds were thinning temporarily as farmers had been maintaining a “protest roster” at village level. “If some farmers have moved their tractor-trailers back, ‘pucca’ huts have come up as a replacement,” he said.

As the farmers' protest stretches for months, impatience anger and frustration are bound to creep up due to ‘lack of a breakthrough’.

So far only two minor demands have been accepted by the Modi government. Government had offered suspension of implementation of the three laws for 1.5 years’ subject to extendable. but agitating farmer leaders have rejected the offer and are adamant on repealing the three new laws.

The stalemate has persisted since the tenth round of talks between the government and farm unions in January.There are no expectations of the stalemate ending soon.

If the stalemate persists for long, there are strong apprehensions that ultras may take the advantage of the situation. This is what happened in Punjab during Indira Gandhi rule. She used militant leader J.S. Bhindranwale against Akalis and then dumped him throwing Punjab into militancy. Dumping Punjab farmers by the BJP for traders and industrialists is a dangerous game. Better Modi govt talks to agitating farmers and find a solution.

(Chander Sharma)