‘Farm laws in coma, government not issuing death certificate’

GUWAHATI: A high-level Sanyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) team headed by Yogendra Yadav said the three controversial farm laws have "gone into coma" but the "death certificate" is not being issued, as it has become a prestige issue for Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
They gave a clarion call to voters of the election-bound states to vote against BJP, but said the peasant movement won't extend support to selected opposition parties in any of the states.
“They (BJP) only know the satta ki bhasa -- votes, seats and election results. That's why the farmers' movement have decided to inflict vote ki chot on them. We are touring the poll-bound states to mobilize farmers and their sympathizers with the message to reject BJP. Whom to vote is up to voters,” Yadav said, adding that the role of the farmers' movement in Delhi will send a clear message to BJP and other political parties on how hurting farmers can cost elections. The team in Assam arrived from West Bengal.
Even as the farmers' bodies are adamant on continuing their protests in the Delhi borders till the farm laws are withdrawn totally, he said, "The farm laws are dead but death certificates are not being issued. The PM is blocking these because his personal prestige is involved. Nevertheless, this movement to save democracy has given vigour to farmers' strength and solidarity."
In January, Modi told agriculture minister Narendra Singh Tomar that the "government is just a phone call away for protesting farmers''. The agriculture minister had conveyed the message to farmer leaders also. However, SKM leaders said this is taking an unexpectedly long time.
While farmer leaders admitted that their movement could not gain momentum in states such as Assam and West Bengal like in Punjab and Haryana, but Yadav compared a farmers' movement with a giant elephant, which takes some time to wake up and speed up its long journey. "No farmer movement of India has ever started equally in all states. But once it gains ground, there is no stopping," he added.
Earlier, Yadav and his team member Sunilam met jailed peasant leader Akhil Gogoi, who is undergoing treatment at Gauhati Medical College Hospital, here on Sunday morning. Speculation was doing the rounds that Yadav meeting Akhil may boost Raijor Dal's support base in the elections. While Yadav alleged that the trials against Akhil were "political trials", and not "criminal trials", Sunilam called it unfortunate that Congress has fielded a candidate against Akhil in Sivasagar.
"Akhil is for defeating BJP and our (SKM) call is also the same. It was the moral responsibility of Congress and its alliance to ensure victory of a people's voice like Akhil," said Sunilam.
Later, SKM leaders had an interaction with the people at an event organized by Nikhil Bharat Krishak Sabha's Assam state committee, Sustha Samaj Bikash Chakra and Sangrami Krishak Sramik Sangha in Cotton University premises here.