Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal castigated the BJP-led Central Government for following a heartless approach towards resolving the grievances of farmers on completion of one month of their peaceful protest on the borders of Delhi.
“The Central Government has adopted a callous and insensitive attitude towards the suffering of farmers who are camped out in the open in severe cold wave conditions. It almost seems that the Government wants to punish the farmers for raising their voice against the three agricultural marketing laws which were forced through in the last parliamentary session. This is the reason why the Centre has adopted a policy which is aimed at tiring out the farmers,” said Sukhbir.
He alleged that a bogey of talks is being raised with the sole purpose of defaming the farmers and giving the impression that they are being stubborn. “The truth is that it is the Centre which is being obstinate by refusing to repeal the three Agri Acts which are unacceptable to farmers across the country,” he added.
Asking the NDA Government not to play with the sentiments of farmers by extending non-specific talk invitations without any agenda or time frame, Sukhbir said that the Centre should hold talks on ways and means to repeal the three Agri Acts in a sincere manner.
“It should also desist from defaming farmers as separatists and victimizing arhtiyas (commission agents) through Income Tax raids. It would be best if the Government called a special one day session to repeal the three Agricultural laws. Once this is done, new laws can be framed in consultation with farmers,” he said adding that not doing so will only strengthen the impression that the corporate players, who stand to gain through enslavement of farmers, are coming in the way of a fair settlement to the ongoing farmer agitation.
Telling the top BJP leadership to adopt a humanistic approach to the entire issue, Sukhbir said: “More than 40 farmers have already lost their lives in the last one month. They have been agitating against these measures ever since they were introduced as Ordinances six months back. The Government steadfastly refused to listen to the farmers’ grievances for five months and only initiated talks when the farmers blockaded the borders of Delhi…How many more farmers should be martyred before the State sits up and listens to their voice and acts on it?”
“Things are not always like this,” said Sukhbir while remembering late Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee on his birth anniversary. He said that Vajpayee would not have let things come to such a pass.
“The present NDA Government needs to learn from the example of inclusive governance set by the late Prime Minister and take everyone along with it. Divisive politics is not good for the progress of the country,” he said.