Statistics have revealed that after PM Modi came into power, farmer protests across the country have increased by 700%. The latest agitation is against the three farm bills that were recently discussed in the Parliament.
PM Modi’s failure to fulfill promise has caused this?
Before the BJP government came to power, Narendra Modi had promised farmers that they would receive a higher income. However, nothing was done towards this effect during the first tenure. Recently though, PM Modi and his government introduced the three farm bills, which, according to the ruling party, would be beneficial to the farmers. But, the farmers didn’t share the opinion. Even Shiromani Akali Dal, NDA’s ally for 24-years pulled out of the government due to these bills.
700% increase in farmer protests
National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB)’s data on unlawful assemblies suggests that farmers’ mobilization was high during the first two years of Modiji’s government. Between 2014 and 2016, the number of farmers’ protests rose from 628 to 4,837 — a big 700 percent increase.
How have the farmer protests gone national?
Earlier, farmers usually organized small protests at the state or local level. However, slowly, this movement has gone national in recent years. The main reason has to be Modiji’s unfulfilled promise of added income to the farmers. This didn’t happen, and farmer organizations had to hit the road in search of what they were promised.
Media attention also accentuated farmers’ mobilization across the national level. The protests that were conducted by Tamil Nadu farmers at Jantar Mantar in Delhi and the ones that happened against the killing of farmers by Madhya Pradesh police captured media presence.
The All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee (AIKSCC), which has now grown to represent 250 organizations from 20 states has also become the newfound ground to take farmer issues to the national level.
Source: The Print
