Vibha Sharma
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, February 6

Amid a relatively uneventful ‘chakka jam’ on Saturday,  indications are that the BJP-led Centre not only “managed” the situation well but also managed to “isolate” Punjab farmers from their counterparts in Uttar Pradesh, Delhi and Uttarakhand who did not participate in on Saturday’s event against the three farm laws.

While the decision regarding UP and Uttarakhand was taken at a meeting between Samyukta Kisan Morcha’s Balbir Singh Rajewal and Bhartiya Kisan Union Rakesh Tikait “in mind the ongoing agriculture activities and situations” sources are pointing to “other reasons” behind the surprise announcement on Friday.

Almost four months have passed since the new sugar season commenced in October and the Uttar Pradesh government is yet to announce State-Advised Price (SAP) for sugarcane, making it difficult for farmers to get cane payment from sugar mills.

Though the state government has not clarified the reason for the delay in announcement of SAP for sugarcane—the main crop of western UP—speculations are it is “waiting for the farmers’ agitation to be over”. While cane farmers are expecting a higher increase in the SAP, sugar mills are resisting any such move. The UP government has not revised the SAP of Rs 315 per quintal for three seasons.

Apart from the underlying anger and uncertainty among sugarcane farmers, sources say “majority of BKU cadres are currently engaged in Delhi”, meaning that BKU leaders were also “skeptical about success of chakka jam” in UP.

“The BKU (Tikait) has not objected to piling up of arrears of Rs 15,000 crore and delay in announcement of SAP. What could a three-hour ‘chakka jam’ achieved,” questioned a farmer leader, underlining the various political pulls at play over the issue

The “shift” in attention and focus from Singhu and Tikri (where Punjab unions have been camping) towards UP and Ghazipur is a cause of much concern among those who initiated the agitation against the three laws.

In the developments following the January 26 Delhi violence, Rakesh Tikait has emerged as a “hero and main attraction” in ‘mahapanchayats’ not just in UP but also Haryana. Tomorrow he will participate in two ‘mahapanchayats’ in Charkhi Dadri, according to BKU.

Meanwhile, sources say “clarity can be expected regarding the Centre’s next move on the three laws next week. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to reply to the Motion of Thanks on the President’s Address in the Rajya Sabha”.