The farmers' victory reminds us that only people's struggles can force the state to correct its anti-people policies

The Modi government has finally had to bow before the farmers' fighting spirit. The farmers have struck back at the arrogance of the BJP, which tries to impose savage black laws on the people. Through the most brilliant struggle independent India has seen, they forced the fascist regime to surrender. The Prime Minister has announced that all three anti-farmer farm laws will be withdrawn.

It was in preparation for signing over the whole of India's agriculture to corporates that the central government brought the three bills last year. Throwing every democratic convention to the winds and making Parliament a scarecrow, they announced that the bills had been passed without even allowing a vote. The eight of us who protested against this destruction of democracy in the Rajya Sabha were suspended from the House. MPs who raised their voices in the House were removed by force and manhandled. In protest against the Centre's unilateral passing of the three farm laws, which would be a death warrant for farmers, the eight of us who were suspended sat in protest before the Gandhi statue in Parliament and slept there that night. Fearing the protest, the government ended the session the very next day and slipped away. The days that followed were days in which the Sangh Parivar forces learnt that a brute majority in Parliament is not a licence to impose anything on the people of the country. Farmers across the country took to the streets against the three black laws and turned the borders of the national capital into centres of struggle: Singhu, Ghazipur and Shahjahanpur all became their struggle centres. For the past year they struggled peacefully, without losing any of their enthusiasm and without retreating an inch from their demand. They overcame bitter cold and scorching heat by determination alone. Hundreds became martyrs. They survived every attempt by the state to destabilise the struggle and break the farmers' unity. The struggle of those who feed the nation became the feeling of people of every age across the country, and no cunning strategy of the BJP could destroy that feeling. In the end, the central government realised that the ground was slipping from under its feet. It is out of that sense of reality that the announcement came that the government has decided to withdraw all three farm laws.

This victory will be written in golden letters in the history of Indian democracy. The fighting spirit of the country's farmers, who brought the fascist regime to its knees, will inspire the struggles to come. This is not just a victory for the farmers; it is a victory won by the people over a regime that set out to sign over the whole country to corporates. This victory gives enthusiasm and fresh energy to all who believe in democracy, secularism and the Indian Constitution and uphold their values. This blow to the face of a regime that scorns and ignores people's struggles will also be a lesson for it. It is certain that this experience will make them think twice before trying to impose anti-people policies. The farmers' victory reminds us that only people's struggles can force a fascist regime, which does not hesitate even to throw out MPs for declaring solidarity with the life-and-death problems of the country's farmers, to correct its anti-people policies. The only way out of the extremely tragic situation the country has reached under BJP rule is the united resistance and struggle of all who believe in democracy. The farmers' experience of struggle will be an asset for us in that.

Com. Elamaram Kareem MP