Farmers’ protests on path shown by Mahatma Gandhi will be successful: Sonia Gandhi

"The Modi government is making the farmers cry tears of blood, even though they grow foodgrains for the country with their sweat," Congress chief Sonia Gandhi said.

Amid growing dissent over the contentious farm bills, Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Friday said Mahatma Gandhi was the “biggest sympathiser” of farmers and exuded confidence that the ongoing agitations would prove to be successful and peasants will emerge victorious.

Sonia, who was paying her tributes to Mahatma Gandhi and former prime minister Lal Bahadur Shastri on their birth anniversary, said while the Mahatma was the biggest sympathiser of labourers, Shastri had coined the slogan of ‘Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan’.

“The Congress party will continue to fight against the three black laws. Today our workers are agitating in favour of farmers and labourers in every assembly constituency. I want to say with confidence that this agitation of farmers and the Congress will be successful and the farmers will win,” she said in a video address.

“The Modi government is making the farmers cry tears of blood, even though they grow foodgrains for the country with their sweat,” she added.

The Congress chief also said that her party always took into consideration public opinion and has also formulated laws alongside the interests of the people.

“But does the Modi government believe in this? Perhaps the Modi government does not remember that it was not able to change the ‘Right to Adequate Compensation Law’ for rights of farmers through an ordinance,” she said.

While referring to the supply of foodgrains during the pandemic, Sonia said: “Was it possible that without our farmer brothers, we could manage two meals for crores of our people.”

“Today, the country’s prime minister is doing gross injustice to our ‘Annadata’ farmers. The laws were made for the farmers, but they were not even consulted. The issue was not even discussed…their interests were set aside by talking to their select friends before framing the three black laws,” she added.

Speaking of the violence that broke out in certain areas during the farmers’ protests, Sonia said: “Far from listening to their voice, the anti-democratic, anti-people government blew lathis on them. What do our farmers and farm labourers want. They only want the right price for their hard earned produce in these laws and this is their basic right.”

The Congress chief said when grain markets will be abolished, hoarders will be given a free hand to hoard foodgrains and the farmers’ land will be handed over to capitalists for farming. “Then who will protect the crores of small farmers,” she asked.

Sonia also expressed concerns over the future of farm laborers and those linked to the farmers. “What will happen to small shopkeepers and labourers working in grain markets? Who will protect their rights? Has the Modi government thought about this?” she asked.

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