At least in this case, there appears to be no light at the finish of the tunnel. The standoff more than farm reforms, which has entered its second month, is set to continue. With the Prime Minister final Friday practically ruling out the repeal of the 3 farm reform legislations, the Punjab farmers have no solution but to continue their siege of the capital. That is unless far better sense prevails and they abandon their maximalist demand for the outright repeal of the reform laws.
In his remarks final Friday, Modi did not slam the door on additional engaging the farmers but produced it plain that they need to supply information and purpose to help their demands. Thus far, the farmer’s unions have failed to present a cogent case to buttress their demand for the repeal of the agriculture sector reforms. It is clear they have designed a veritable movement in Punjab on a sheer miasma of worry.
Modi took digs at his opponents who have been crying themselves hoarse in help of the farmers’ protest. If retaining the antiquated Agriculture Produce Marketing Committees Act was so vital for the welfare of the farmers, he asked, why was there no APMC Act in Kerala. Besides, there was no move to abolish the APMC mandis. No, not at all. These have been sought to be supplemented by private mandis competing in a fair and transparent manner with the APMC mandis and topic to the identical taxes and costs as them.
Commonsense economics dictates that numerous possibilities for sellers yield far better and competitive costs for their goods. But if the farmers are bent on indefinitely suffering the stranglehold of traders/arthiyas, there is absolutely nothing to be mentioned. Yet, the present siege can’t be permitted to continue for extended. It imposes financial expenses on the nation and disrupts the typical life of millions of citizens. No government need to permit the public roads and highways blocked in the name of a democratic protest. This has to finish.
But provided the intransigence and unreasonableness of the Punjab farmers, the onus is on the Government to come across an amicable resolution. Which, beneath the situations, can be the grant of solution to the States on the implementation of the 3 farm legislations. In this case, let the BJP-ruled States implement the reforms though other people such as the Congress-ruled Punjab can continue to operate their farm markets with out the advantage of the reforms. Such a compromise would persuade the Punjab farmers to lift the siege though the Centre would nevertheless have the chance to showcase the gains from the implementation of the new laws.
It may possibly not be the perfect compromise but when a person is determined to reduce the extremely branch of the tree they are perched on and refuses to be reasoned out of it, it is most effective to leave them to endure the consequences. Let the implementation of reforms be left to the discretion of person States and contact off the illogical stir.