Farmers across the state are agitating for loan waivers and other demands. The state government has been unable to quell the prolonged, sporadic agitations despite all its claims and efforts. For the government that is at the fag end of its tenure the recurring agitations are proving to be a major political trouble.
Farmers across the state are agitating for loan waivers and other demands. The state government has been unable to quell the prolonged, sporadic agitations despite all its claims and efforts. For the government that is at the fag end of its tenure the recurring agitations are proving to be a major political trouble.
But if one were to take a closer look, the agitation has served to mobilize and rejuvinate the the Left parties in Rajasthan. Swept by the BJP wave, the party that had been reduced to a tally of zero in the state assembly in 2013 polls, is now locking horns with BJP and giving it nervous pangs.
The Communists have tapped the anger of the farmers and under the banner of All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) has managed to establish connect and support with farmers across the state. Candidates from the Communist parties have been largely been elected from Sikar, Hanumangarh, Sriganganagar, Alwar and Ajmer. Interestingly, farmers’ agitations too have been concentrated in those very districts that Communists majorly represented in the electoral history of Rajasthan.
The left is using a tried and tested method of agitating for the cause of farmers and has managed to garner enough support to regain its citadel that was blown away in the BJP wave in 2013. This was the first election in Rajasthan when not a single MLA from CPI or CPM managed to get elected.
The Amraram Pemaram duo of former MLAs of CPM strategically tapped the simmering resentment among farmers and led the agitation from the front. With their oratory skills and ability to control huge crowds through cadre base the farmers’ agitation saw no violent scenes from uncontrolled crows. Blockade of strategic highways enabled them to hold the state to ransom; something that only served to enhance their support base.
Congress too concertedly raised the farmers’ issue, but the government move to call AIKS leaders for talks on loan waivers put a stamp of recognition; as farmer sympathisers; on the AIKS.
On the other hand, the BJP government has faltered every time it dealt with the agitating farmers. It has already presented the final budget of its tenure and the farmers continue to be a dissatisfied lot. This leaves the left with enough salvo to aggressively mobilize the farmer community. Elections in the state are scheduled to be held at the end of the year and agitations show no sign of abating.
While farmers will soon reap the kharif crop, the Left is all set to reap harvest of farmers’ agitation. But at the bottom of this politics lies a very vital question; will these agitations help farmers get their due; or would it remain to be posturing for political gains.
TODAY’S DEVELOPMENT
All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) seeks to give a memorandum of demands to Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit to Jhunjhunu on March 8. This was decided at the state level body meet of AIKS held in Jaipur on Tuesday to chalk out future strategy for agitation.
“We are writing to the PM office to accept a memorandum from farmers of Sikar Jhunjhunu and Churu when he comes to Jhunjhunu. We will tell him about state government not fulfiling promises made to the farmers and also remind him of his promises made to farmers in 2014,” informed national vice president AIKS Amraram. In all other districts memorandum for PM will be given to district officials.
Amraram accused the government of not fulfiling promises made to farmers via the ministerial committee and arresting them when they wanted to gherao the assembly after the Budget. The committee also decided that no government minister shall be allowed in the villages till the government effects a complete loan waiver, informed Amraram.
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