Standing shoulder to shoulder with farmers: Kisan Congress VP

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IANS | 19 Jan, 2021
With the farmers agitation continuing for the 54th day and the crucial 10th round of talks of the farmers with the government scheduled on Tuesday, Kisan Congress Vice President Surendra Solanki on Monday said that the downfall of the Narendra Modi-led BJP government will start from this farmers agitation, as it is the first protest in 73 years of Independent India which has gone strong even during the Covid pandemic.

The Kisan Congress has been standing shoulder to shoulder with farmers by lending their hand for providing food and other materials to the farmers at several borders of the national capital, where the farmers have been agitating since November 26 last year demanding repealing of the three farm laws.

In an interview to IANS, Solanki alleged the motives of the government are not good, as it has already made up its mind "not to repeal" the three farm laws.

He said, "Somewhere the government is under pressure from its capitalist friends. And for the first time in the history of Independent India in last 73 years, such a huge number of farmers has been sitting on protest in this chilling winter and in this pandemic era."

He said that the motives of the BJP are questionable as on number of occasions government has clearly said it will not repeal the farm laws.

"So once you are not in mood to listen to farmers then from where a solution can be expected?" he quipped.

To a question about the farmer leaders being called for questioning by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and many leaders describing the farmers as Khalistani, Solanki, who hails from Haryana, said, "There is a famous saying in Hindi 'Vinash kale viprit Buddhi', the brain of the government has stopped functioning in right direction."

"They need to understand the fact that even during the nationwide lockdown, the farmers kept on supporting the GDP of the country," he said, adding that even the sons of the farmers are part of the armed forces fighting for the country on borders.

Slamming BJP's leaders, Solanki said: "Who are BJP leaders to distribute the certificate of nationalism to farmers? This is unfortunate and condemnable. Their decline has started now with the farmers agitation."

When pointed out that the farmers were not allowed to enter the national capital, he said that it shows that they are not willing to "find a solution".

"If the government had reports that the condition can deteriorate then they should have found a solution immediately instead of delaying it for more than 54 days. Why they have taken such long time? There are number of examples when the Supreme Court has held hearings and the government has taken decisions at midnight," the Kisan Congress leader said.

Hitting out at the BJP government, he said that after coming to power in 2014 the government has started to distribute the certificate of fake nationalism.

"They need to tell the country about their contribution in the Independence movement and why the tricolour is not hoisted at the RSS headquarters at Nagpur," Solanki said.

To a question that Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi hitting the streets in the favour of farmers on Friday, almost after a delay of 52 days and many of the Congres leaders missing on the front, the Kisan Congress leader said, "Rahul Gandhi has led from the front on the farmers issue and he has won the trust of farmers."

He said that Rahul Gandhi has taken a stand for ther farmers in Uttar Pradesh, when then Chief Minister Mayawati decided to acquire the land of farmers in Bhatta Parsaul.

He highlighted that it was the Congress-led UPA govt that brought in the Land Acquisition Bill. "And after the Modi government came to power and it brought changes in the land acquisition bill, Rahul Gandhi opposed it in Parliament and fought it fearlessly and all of use got inspiration from him," he said.

Talking about the role of the Kisan Congress against the three farm laws, Solanki said: "We were the first to oppose the ordinances when they were brought last year during the Covid pandemic. I even went to President Ram Nath Kovind and also staged a protest outside Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar's residence during the nationwide lockdown amid the Covid pandemic to oppose the farm ordinances."

Solanki also said that before participating in the protest in the national capital last Friday, Rahul Gandhi had held talks with farmers across the country virtually three months ago. "Rahul Gandhi also spoke to the traders in different mandis across the country to understand their grievances," he said.

"Rahul Gandhi has also made it clear that if the government does not repeal these three farm laws, if voted to power, the Congress will repeal these laws," he said

He also said that the Kisan Congress was the first organisation to demand compensation of Rs one crore to the families of the farmers who died during the protest and a government job to their kin.

Asked about the farmers' planned tractor parade on Republic Day, Solanki said, "We are extending all supoort to the farmers for their planned Republic Day tractor parade. I am a farmer first. And I am associated with the party later."

He also said that now the farmers agitation fight is about self-esteem for farmers and farmers have decided not to return home until the three farm laws are repealed.

Thousands of farmers from Punjab, Harayana and western Uttar Pradesh have been protesting against the three farm laws at several borders of ther national capital and over 60 farmers have died. The farmers are demanding the repeal of the three farm laws.