Jhargram: The contentious farmers' Bills has come up as a major cause of resentment among tribal farmers in Jangalmahal. The reason being they are considering that it would be a major jolt to their persistent growth in income and be a hindrance to the series of steps of the Mamata Banerjee government in the past nine years.
The "ill effects" of farmers' Bills that would badly hit interest of tribal farmers is now the key issue of Trinamool Congress in Jangalmahal and this becomes crucial as tribals share 6 per cent and 11 per cent of the total votes in West Midnapore and Jhargram respectively.
According to political experts, the issue over the farm Bills is sufficient for BJP's setback in the western districts of Bengal and would help Trinamool Congress in regaining its ground to ensure victory in all the 40 Assembly seats in Jangalmahal, unlike the last Lok Sabha polls.
BJP had managed to bag Jhargram, Bankura, Midnapore, Purulia and Bishnupur Lok Sabha seats in
2019.
"The situation is completely different at present. We have started regaining the ground in Jangalmahal and taking the issue of Farm Bill to each and every villages and tribals are aggrieved with such anti-people move of the Centre," said TMC West Midnapore district president Ajit Maity.
Chatradhar Mahato, who was recently inducted in Trinamool Congress, opined that tribal farmers would be the worst effected ones as they are simple people and can be easily molded by hoarders to get their produce at the minimum price possible.
Besides growing paddy, vegetables and potatoes in some parts of Jangalmahal, a large section of tribal farmers mainly in places like Belpahari and its adjoining areas depend on cultivation of Babui grass. It is the basic material needed to make ropes, doormat, etc and comes with high commercial value.
With a series of steps taken by the Mamata Banerjee government they have witnessed massive economic rejuvenation in the area. But they are apprehensive that now the hoarders will be getting the upper hand and would create a situation to force them to sell out their agricultural produce even by incurring losses.
Jyotsna Murmu, a tribal farmer, said: "We do not support the farmers' Bills as it would be in a helpless situation with no provision of the government to fix the minimum support price".
Hanua Tudu, another farmer from Midnapore Sadar area, maintained the same view stating that mahajan raj will once again turn them to slaves and they
would vehemently protest against it.
TMC's win in Kharagpur Sadar Assembly constituency by-poll within a few months after 2019 Lok Sabha elections had come as a major boost for the party. Now, TMC is going all out starting from booth to district-level with the issues including BJP's opression on Dalits by highlighting the Hathras incident, NRC that once again will push the tribals in the face of uncertainty and farmers Bills.