80% satisfied with Indian govt's handling of farmers' protest: Mood of the Nation poll

For the Indian government, the end of the year 2020 didn't bring any relief. While it prepared to undertake the Covid vaccination programme and move forward in the fight against Covid-19, thousands of angry farmers sitting at the borders of Delhi proved to be a challenge unlike any other.

While farmers continue to protest against the Centre's three new farm laws, the government has recieved backing from the public on the issue, according to the findings of the Mood of the Nation poll. As many as 80 per cent of the respondents have backed the government's handling of the issue.

The Narendra Modi-led NDA government had hoped its three-farm legislation would do for agriculture marketing in the country what the Green Revolution did for India in attaining self-sufficiency in wheat and rice in the 1960s.

But the farmers, particularly in Punjab and parts of Haryana, are not so convinced about the government’s intentions and have laid siege to the national capital since November 26.

Long-time alliance partner Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), in fact, dumped the National Democratic Alliance over the issue, while Harsimrat Kaur Badal resigned from the post of food processing industries minister in the Union cabinet.

When asked, 80 per cent of the respondents said they were satisfied with the government’s handling of the issue, while 16 per cent expressed unhappiness.

However, opinion was divided on the issue of whom the laws benefit more: farmers or corporates. While 34 per cent of the MOTN respondents believe that the bills will help farmers, a close 32 per cent say the laws are biased in favour of corporates. Another 25 per cent think the laws will help both.

On whether the farm laws should be amended, as the government is offering, or repealed, as the farmers are demanding, 55 per cent of the MOTN respondents were in favour of amending the laws while 28 per cent said they needed to be repealed as per the farmers’ demands.