As the monsoon session of parliament draws closer, farmer unions across Punjab are intensifying efforts to get their long-standing demands addressed at the highest level. In a recent statement, leaders of various farmer groups have said they will directly contact MPs from non-BJP parties and request them to raise farm issues inside the House.
Representatives from influential organizations like the Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee said they will hold meetings with opposition lawmakers on July 2nd. The objective is to urge these political representatives to introduce a private member's bill focusing on farmers' concerns. Issues to be highlighted include guaranteed minimum support prices for all agricultural produce, crop loan waivers and implementation of the Swaminathan Commission's recommendations regarding remunerative prices.
Protesting farmers have made clear their unwillingness to engage with BJP parliamentarians, citing the party's role in passing three contentious farm laws last year which triggered nation-wide demonstrations. Over 120 days into their sit-in protests along the Shambhu and Khanauri borders, the farm unions remain steadfast in their demand for a legal guarantee on MSP. They have also asked the central government to compensate families of deceased protestors and waive off electricity bills.
With the agitation now in its second year and summer temperatures rising, the farmer leadership is leaving no stone unturned to amplify public and political pressure. Come monsoon session, their lobby efforts will aim to catalyze parliamentary debates and hopefully legislative changes addressing the long-festering agricultural crisis. Only time will tell if these grassroots initiatives succeed in securing the rights and reassurances sought so determinedly by India's annadata.
