Kolkata: ‘Victory comes at the cost of several lives’ – Times of India

KOLKATA: The civil society in Kolkata with intellectuals, activists and academicians, some of whom have spoken directly in favour of the farmers in the past one year and were in constant contact with leaders of various farmer organizations on Singhu border, have hailed the decision announced by PM Narendra Modi to repeal the three farm laws as historic.

Yet, they have claimed before each stakeholder in this protest — and every citizen here — that the win has come at a cost. Thrilled in the manner how grassroot democracy has made its voice heard, they have asked the people “never to forget the supreme sacrifices of the farmers, many of whom even died during the protest”.
“I am extremely happy today. There were horrific pictures of the struggle that the media had portrayed for the past one year (referring to the Lakhimpur Kheri incident). Finally, there is relief and victory,” said writer Shirshendu Mukhopadhyay.
Pradip Basu, dean of the humanities and social sciences, Presidency University, has been a vociferous supporter of the farmers’ agitation since its inception. “At last, PM Narendra Modi has declared that the three farmers’ laws would be repealed. True it happens to be a decision taken before the elections in UP and Rajasthan along with other states. But there can be no doubt that it is a victory for the people’s movement. A very respectful salute to the over 700 farmer martyrs,” said Basu.
Maroona Murmu, professor of history at Jadavpur University and the first Adivasi professor teaching social sciences at a university in Bengal, said it was the farmers’ movement that forced the government to repeal the laws, though hundreds were martyred in the protest.
Linguist Pabitra Sarkar said he is relieved after the multiple “sad vignettes” that were coming in from across a few pockets of the country. “Finally, there is relief. But one cannot ignore the fact that the elections are coming and that might have induced the announcement. I wish the Centre tenders an apology for the deaths that have happened in between,” he said.
Satabdi Das, an activist who kept in touch with one of the leading voices in this agitation — Harinder Kaur Bindu — said she called up Bindu who assured her she was not leaveing Delhi till the Parliament officially repealed the laws.