Twenty-four political groups including India’s main opposition Congress party picked up the boycott call of farmers, who have been squatting along Delhi’s borders since last month.
The protesters argue three farm reforms that became law in September have no written guarantees of an assured floor price for their produce.
They also say the laws could leave them at the mercy of rich corporations who deal outside state-controlled wholesale markets.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has repeatedly assured the farmers’ interests would be safeguarded.
His ruling Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has hailed the laws as a “watershed” and insists the farmers had been misled.
Law and Justice Minister Ravishankar Prasad told media he would “expose the hypocrisy and shameful double standards of the political parties who are taking to firing from the shoulders of our farming community friends”.
Shutdown largely peaceful
Sporadic clashes and disruptions marked Tuesday’s four-hour symbolic shutdown in India, where the agriculture sector employs half of the country’s 1.3 billion people.
TV footage showed clashes in Jaipur city while communist party supporters blocked trains and traffic in West Bengal state, where the local government is backing the farmers’ protest.
The action also led to the closure of some wholesale markets and prevented many commuters from reaching their office.
Emergency services were exempt and commercial flights and most passenger trains operated without a hitch but a national truckers’ group endorsed the shutdown.
Farmers Agitation hijacked by political lust of disgruntled politicians. No effect of #BharatBandh on Trade & Transport of India. Markets opened countrywide. @CAITIndia thank Country. @narendramodi @KirenRijiju @PiyushGoyal @HardeepSPuri @smritiirani @myogiadityanath pic.twitter.com/gl3AGxBhMv
— Praveen Khandelwal (@praveendel) December 8, 2020
“We whole-heartedly support the cause of the farmers and look forward to a peaceful and amicable resolution of their issues…,” said the All India Motor Transport Congress in a statement.
Political Slugfest
In Delhi, the opposition Aam Admi Party which governs the national capital, alleged city Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was kept under “house arrest".
“Our chief minister was put under house arrest just because he stood in solidarity with the farmers,” claimed party MP Sanjay Singh.
The BJP rubbished the allegation as its supporters gathered outside Kejriwal’s home, barricaded by the police.
This claim of CM Delhi being put on house arrest is incorrect. He exercises his right to free movement within the law of the land. A picture of the house entrance says it all.@DelhiPolice @LtGovDelhi pic.twitter.com/NCWBB9phDS
— DCP North Delhi (@DcpNorthDelhi) December 8, 2020
“The opposition just wants to put hurdles on the way of India’s march towards progress,” separately commented India’s Textile Minister Smriti Irani.
Barren negotiations
Barring some street rallies, the shutdown had no major impact in opposition-ruled Maharashtra, of which Mumbai is the state capital.
“It is a farmers’ issue and so we would meet the (Indian) president tomorrow as we want the laws should not be implemented as long as the farmers do not agree,” said local politician Nawab Malik.
A joint delegation of Opposition parties will meet President Kovind tomorrow at 5 pm. The delegation will include Rahul Gandhi, Sharad Pawar and others : @SitaramYechury #FarmersProtest #farmersagitation pic.twitter.com/d28E5bfMCi
— NewsMobile (@NewsMobileIndia) December 8, 2020
“We just want these laws to go,” added one of the thousands of farmers from Punjab state camping on Delhi’s borders where the protesters including women and children have set up makeshift kitchens and bonfires.
Negotiations between farmer organisations and government representatives have so far been inconclusive.
The two sides will meet Wednesday for a sixth round of official talks in 14 days to try and resolve their differences.
Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar said he was hopeful a “middle path” was likely to emerge.
Siraj Hussain, former secretary in the agriculture ministry, said worries over volatile market prices in India’s food-growing states can be resolved.
Agriculture accounts for nearly 15 percent of India’s 2.4 trillion-euro economy and growers are a powerful political constituency.
