Amid a growing perception that the agitation against the contentious farm laws has met an abrupt end and there are lesser chances for a revival, a statement made on Sunday by Satyapal Malik, the current Governor of Meghalaya has brought the issue once more into limelight. The Governor has not only warned the Centre to stay prepared for the consequences if it tries to suppress the farmers’ protest, but also has openly advocated for a law that would guarantee the Minimum Support Price (MSP) system, one of the key demands for which the farmers have been protesting on the outskirts of the national capital for more than three months. The statement has raised eyebrows since it has come from a person who has been known to be quite close to the ruling dispensation in terms of political and ideological parameters. While it remains to be seen, to what extent the ripples, if any, reaches the corridors of power in Delhi, as a suggestion however in the immediate context, it has got solid weight and relevance. It’s a very delicate issue to say the least and the current pause in agitation, in all probability, is only temporary.

The Meghalaya Governor has been categorical to point out the intricacies of the issue and has poured out his heart in a language which hasn’t taken an oblique route. His exact words as quoted by several national dailies are: “Governors are meant to stay silent… They have to rest and not do any work. They are expected to not say anything but it is my habit to speak up. When I saw what was happening to the farmers, I couldn’t stop myself from speaking up.”  It’s clear from the above words how deeply he has been upset over the developments and evidently, the pain is acute since he hails from a farmer family of western Uttar Pradesh, the other epicenter of protests besides the national  capital, Punjab and Haryana. Do not use force against the farmers and don’t send them back empty-handed, has been his earnest appeal to the Centre along with the observation that if the farmers and soldiers of the country are dissatisfied, then the country can’t survive. The Governor’s revelation that he had personally intervened during late evening hours to thwart a possible arrest of farmer leader Rakesh Tikait that has till now been largely unknown to the press is also a significant addition to the raging issue. Proposing a law that would ensure the MSP as a solution to the stalemate, he has asserted that the protest will end sooner than later.

 

Time will tell whether the Governor’s suggestions fall on deaf ears or are being acted upon. But it’s a cogent advice indeed. 

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Kenter Joya Riba

(Managing Editor)
      She is a graduate in Science with post graduation in Sociology from University of Pune. She has been in the media industry for nearly a decade. Before turning to print business, she has been associated with radio and television.
Email: kenterjoyaz@easternsentinel.in / editoreasternsentinel@gmail.com
Phone: 0360-2212313

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