Condemning the issuance of NIA notices to several farmersand their supporters in the midst of the anti-Farm Laws agitation, Punjab ChiefMinister Captain Amarinder Singh on Monday said said such arm-twisting tacticswould not weaken the resolve of the farmers to fight for their rights and theirfuture.
“Do these farmers look like secessionists andterrorists?,” asked the Chief Minister, slamming the BJP-led government at theCentre for resorting to such reprehensible and oppressive tactics in their desperationto undermine the peacefully protesting farmers’ fighting spirit. But thesemeasures will not succeed in destroying the resolve of the farmers, rather theCentre will only end up provoking them into stronger reaction, he said,questioning the intent of the Government of India, which he said seemed bent onpushing the farmers over the edge through such intimidatory actions. Captain Amarinder warned that BJP’s most powerfulminds will not be able to control the situation if things get irretrievably outof hand.
Instead of resolving the crisis triggered by thedraconian legislations, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) led central governmentwas resorting to victimisation and harassment of the protesting farmers andtheir supporters, the Chief Minister pointed out, dubbing it a regressive stepthat would lead to further hardening of the farmers’ stance.
It was obvious, said the Chief Minister that the BJP-ledNDA government neither cared for the farmers and their concerns, nor understoodtheir psyche. “Punjabis are fighters by nature, they are imbued with thefighting spirit which makes them among the best warriors in the world,” hesaid, adding that the Centre’s coercive actions will only provoke the farmersfrom Punjab to react negatively.
Captain Amarinder expressed shock over the Government ofIndia’s unrelenting opposition to the farmers’ genuine and justified demandsand its total failure to empathise with the cause and concerns of the farmerswho have been braving the record cold of Delhi, with many of them succumbing tothe harsh weather and prolonged exposure. Not only had the Centre been standingon ego in its adamant refusal to repeal the black Farm Laws, it was activelyand shamelessly indulging in strong-arm tactics to suppress the voice of thefarmers, he said, pointing to the IT notices issued to several big Arhtiyas ofPunjab about a month ago and now the NIA notices that were clearly aimed atpressurising the farmers into withdrawing their stir.
These low-level actions will not suppress the voice ofthe farmers, or those millions of Indians who are supporting the `annadaatas’in their battle for survival, said the Chief Minister, adding that if theCentral Government had any shame left it should immediately withdraw the FarmLaws and sit down across the table with all the stakeholders, especially thefarmers, to usher in an era of genuine agricultural reforms.