Jaipur, Rajasthan

Hanuman Beniwal’s party Rashtriya Loktantrik Party (RLP) supports the farmers’ protest at Delhi’s Shahjahanpur border. In his interview to Gaon Connection, Beniwal said that the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Central government is intimidated by the farmers’ stir but it’s not repealing the laws because it has made it an ego issue.

Beniwal also stated that if the Modi government fails to repeal the three farm laws then it is bound to suffer a loss of at least 80 seats in the next Lok Sabha elections which are slated for 2024. He also stated that due to the stubborn outlook of the Central government, India’s democratic image has suffered on the world stage. Beniwal is not complacent for the opposition party, Congress, as well and said that the party leadership in Rajasthan has betrayed the farmers.

ALSO READ | 100 days of farmers’ protest: ‘Black flags and Western Peripheral Highway to be blocked on March 6’

After cutting ties with the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and resigning from the Parliamentary committees, what is your plan now?

Beniwal: We are absolutely focused on our main agendas — loan waivers for farmers, repeal of the three farm laws, free electricity for farmers, removal of toll plazas from Rajasthan and unemployment allowances. The three MLAs in the Rajasthan Assembly and I in the Lok Sabha are continuously working for raising farmers’ issues.

But the government doesn’t seem to give in to the demand of repealing the farm laws.

This reflects the arrogance of the Central government. Farmers are not going to benefit from the three farm laws. PM Modi himself said in the Parliament that it is up to the states whether they wish to implement the three laws. This proves that the government has gone on the back foot but the farmers’ stir is not going to end any time soon. The government has made it an ego issue.

Farmers are launching rallies across the country. There was a farmers’ rally led by Rakesh Tikait in your Lok Sabha but you were not seen in it, why is it so?

People associated with Communist parties in Rajasthan are bringing in crowds from outside the state and organising rallies. These rallies and conferences are not able to foster people’s support. I want to make sure that the farmers’ agitation is not compromised by such trivial rallies. I intend to raise crowds as large as five lakh people to make PM Modi realise the farmers’ strength.

So do you feel insecure by such rallies?

Not at all, it’s them who are insecure because of me. All these rallies and conferences have no depth. Communist parties have no presence in Rajasthan. Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has made his crowds sit at the Shahjahanpur border. This crowd of thousands is weakening the farmers’ stir. If they bring at least 1lakh people to the protest then that would make a difference.

ALSO READ | Will the new agri laws benefit or harm farmers?

Women’s contribution is almost 40% in farming, but they are nowhere to be seen in your protests. Why is it so?

Ever since independence, whatever popular movements have occurred in this country, they have been led by the males. So what you’re saying is correct. But we don’t want them to suffer if we take them to the Shahjahanpur border.  If the situation demands that women’s participation is needed in protests, we will ask women to join the stir. For now, that is not needed.

It doesn’t seem that BJP will suffer a loss of votes due to farmers’ stir. Do you agree?

That is not the case. In the next Lok Sabha elections, BJP will not manage to secure more than six seats from Rajasthan. Governments at the Centre have historically suffered due to protests and stirs around the national capital. The states of Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Punjab have often shaken the government at the Centre. Chaudhary Charan Singh and Mahendra Singh Tikait are prime examples of this.

If this government doesn’t find a solution to the farmers’ stir then it will easily suffer a loss of more than 80 seats in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

Is such a solution in sight?

If the Central government stops being stubborn and arrogant about the issue, a solution will be available in two minutes’ time. Even the common citizens have started suffering because of this stalemate between the farmers and the government. Even then, the farmers have patiently continued the stir. More than 200 farmers have lost their lives in the protests. The face-off between Delhi Police and farmers on January 26 was a conspiracy that failed.

Read this story in Hindi