The present impasse between the farmers and the government has thickened. Shyamal airs his opinion, exclusively for Different Truths.

During the last twenty days, the capital city of the country presumably has been under a partial siege by the agitating farmers of the northern belt states, namely Punjab, Haryana, and UP. The impact of the agitation has created serious ramifications among the political parties, media, various state governments, overseas Indians other than stakeholders of the agitation. Even many among foreign leaders abruptly had voiced their concerns on the justifiability of the causes for farmers` grievances – the entire episode eventually now snowballs at the doorstep of the Highest Judiciary for whatever reasons. The farmers have been on agitations as soon as three bills were passed in the Parliament namely, Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion & Facilitation) Act, Farmers’ (Empowerment & Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, Essential Commodities Act in the month of September 2020.

If we indulge a cursory look around the world during the past few years, agitations by the people dependent on agriculture and allied activities had been frequently sparked out over southern states of the USA, EU countries, the UK, Latin American countries, and in South Africa. The causes and effects might be varying but the common thread remained fierce protests of anguished farmers against the failure of the authority either to protect the interest of the farmers or to address the growing crisis on agricultural issues.

Even the method adopted apparently appears similar – assembly and barricade at the principal square with tractors, ploughers and trucks and then regular charges by law keepers retaliatory from protesters. As found from reports, finally the settlement or the arbitration emanated politically out of the dialogue between the government and the protesting farmers and without any other agency breaking the settlement irrespective of the nature of the ruling authority.

The ongoing farmers` agitation, notwithstanding the veracity or justifiability of the causes, definitely needs to be resolved through the political goodwill of the stakeholders and peoples’ trust over the process and the parties. In a democratic setting, the people or the farmers and their representative law-making authority or the government should have faith and confidence mutually to resolve the dispute whatever. Any other wing or interlocutor encroaching or outreaching to the arena would, in the end, may destabilise the basics of people`s authority.

The last resort in the democracy to agree on any disagreement between a government and the people (be of any affiliation) would remain the august floor of Parliament, not before the blindfolded lady with a scale of judgment.

Visuals sourced by the author and by Different Truths

Shyamal Mukhopadhay

Shyamal Mukhopadhyay writes bilingual poems and stories, which get published in magazines like Tuck, Indian Periodicals, Spillwords and many other national and international anthologies. He was a bank executive with a short spell initially as lecturer in economics. His college days` passion to write for Little Magazines had so long been latent to find ways out post-retirement. Jointly authored with daughter Dr. Paromita a book of poems, Sylvan Fragrance.

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