THANJAVUR: The Modi-led union government has been trying to introduce the three farm laws, which were repealed after protests by farmers near the New Delhi border, through the back door in the Draft National Policy Framework on Agricultural Marketing, said All India Kisan Sabha general secretary Vijoo Krishnan.
He was speaking at a seminar in Thanjavur on Saturday ahead of the CPM national conference. Krishnan, who is also a CPM central committee member, pointed out the 378-day struggle by the farmers on the New Delhi border resulted in BJP losing 38 seats.
“If BJP had got 400 seats as claimed by it before elections, it would have changed the Indian constitution to make India into a religious Hindu Rashtra,” Krishnan added. He also pointed out that the Rajapaksa brothers in Sri Lanka had to flee the country after massive left wing protests.
Such a massive protest for alternative policies is possible in India in May, as the Modi government is pushing the farm laws through the back door, trying to implement the four labour codes from April, and attempting to privatise electricity generation and distribution, he added.
He added, according to government data, in the 10 years from 2014, since BJP came to power, 1.12 lakh farmers and farm workers have died by suicide. “Besides, during the same period, the number of migrant workers, basically farmers and farm workers, who died by suicide accounts for around 3.2 lakh,” Krishnan said.
Quoting the data research agency “Land Conflict Watch”, Krishnan said there are around 900 ongoing land conflicts around India and around 50 lakh hectares of lands are involved in these conflicts. On the other hand, for 4,063 industrial parks, a land bank of 18 lakh acres has been acquired, he said. CPM district secretary Chinnai Pandian was present.