FARMERS’ PROTEST – COMPATRIOTS, NOT TRAITORS

 

YOUTUBE

 

When the farm laws were passed in September 2020 (please watch, my earlier video, LISTEN TO THE FARMERS, EP #22 ON YOUTUBE), little did one realise that it would trigger off a nationwide protest. However, when the draft bills were released in 2017, there were widespread but localised protests in different states including Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Punjab and Haryana. So, after the bills became laws in September 2020, one had expected, at best, token protests by political parties and farmers’ unions. Although peaceful, the farmers’ protest has turned into a massive movement. Perhaps the largest ever in the history of independent India. Farmers from Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh came in tractors and camped on the borders of Delhi, with Singhu, Tikri and Gazipur as hotspots.

Again, one thought that given the fact that more than 40 farmers’ unions have formed this coalition, sooner or later the internal dissensions would wreck the movement, or farmers might get tired of the satyagraha and disperse. But they stayed on. In fact, the numbers kept increasing at a rate that must have alarmed the central government. Soon, rumours of infiltration by ISI, Khalistanis, even Chinese agents, began to spread.

But it ended in violence and chaos with demands for calling off the protest gathering momentum, reminding one of the Chauri-Chaura incident of 4 February 1922 that forced Mahatma Gandhi to call off the Civil Disobedience Movement. As we all know, that movement was launched on 04 September 1920, demanding Purna Swaraj or complete independence. The Chari Chaura incident happened when the police opened fire on the demonstrators. The angry crowd retaliated by setting fire to the police station. Over all, three civilians and 22 policemen died in that violence. But the similarity ends here. It was a group of young farmers from who provoked violence and the police had to resort to lathi charge to discourage the spread of violence.

Let us recall that the farmers’ protest, which was peaceful with all the signs of Gandhian Satyagraha, suddenly turned violent on the morning of 26 January when a group of farmers broke through the barricades four hours before the permitted time and marched towards Delhi. The ensuing violence led to at least one death and several hundred wounded – among them 394 policemen.

Now it is of only academic interest whether the violence spontaneous or pre-planned. What needs to be understood the consequences of the violence. It has considerably weakened the fervour among farmers. Their bargaining power too has reduced. The repealing of the farm laws now appears impossible, while at one time the protest had put the central government on the backfoot.

While most of the farm leaders have distanced themselves from the violence in a desperate bid for damage control, many others have put forward alibis for the violence. According to them the agreement between the police and farmers on the timing and route for the tractor march was reached late – just 24 hours earlier. This was not enough for the 40 leaders to spread the information to all the protesting farmers, which created confusion, leading to the 8 AM start, when actually it should have been at 12 noon.

This may be true but how do they justify the permitting of provocative statements from the podium by young farmers, indicating their plans to not honour the agreement? Then there are conspiracy theorists who assert that BJP had planted troublemakers among the protesting farmers. They point out to the fact that 99% of the farmers remained peaceful. Just a handful actually triggered the violence. Were these agents provocateurs or genuine farmers? Some of the names of these “planted troublemakers” floating around are Deep Sidhu, Jugraj Singh (who is seen in a video climbing up a pole and installing Nishan Sahib at the Red Fort), Lakha Sadhana, Sarwan Pandher and Satnam Singh Pannu. Their provocative speeches incited the hotheads among the farmers. on the morning of 26 January.

The extent of violence does indicate that the leaders of protesting farmers were not in full control of the movement. Frankly, even the police seemed at a loss of wits vis-à-vis the unfolding situation. This is where the Ministry for Home Affairs needs to be held to account. They must have had prior intelligence of such a mischief. If not, then they are either inefficient or complicit. Amit Shah, who was so vocal during the Shaheen Bagh protests suddenly went mute. No talk of sending electric shocks to the protesters’ camp.

Rakesh Tikait’s tearful protests apparently brought back many farmers to Ghaziabad, Tikri and Singhu. But will the gathered protesters have the same effect as earlier? The leaders are trying to rejuvenate the protest by underscoring their Gandhian credentials by observing fast on 31 January as tribute to Mahatma Gandhi. But the furling of Nishan Sahib at the Red Fort has done immense damage already. As it definitely looked like an attempt to hijack the movement to serve sectarian interests. The movement is secular and issue-based cutting across religion, region, caste and class. From a socio-economic movement a politico-religious colour has been added. However, many have justified this act by harking back to history, when Sikhs under Baba Baghel Singh had captured the Red Fort in 1783. They assert that Sikhs have always perceived Delhi as the seat of repressive regimes and invariably refer to it as the Delhi Durbar. But, surely, one cannot condone this medieval mindset. How can you resolve the issues of 21^st century with an 18^th century mindset?

The very fact that a majority of Sikh farmers have condemned the extremist elements like Sidhu, Sadhana, Pannu, Pandher and others shows that they have no separatist agenda. Clearly, these mischievous fellows were facilitated to do whatever they did at the Red Fort by powerful political forces that have their own sinister agendas. You just cannot enter the Fort in such huge numbers with the policemen running helter-skelter. The scenario at the Red Fort somehow attracts comparisons with the insurrectionist mobs that had showed up at Trump’s behest and stormed the U.S. Capitol. USA’s disruptive forces like White Supremacists and adherents of the QAnon myth were quite visible in that incident. Are these alleged Khalistani elements the Indian equivalent of QAnon believers?

India is on the verge of reviving its economic recovery while fighting threats from Wuhan Virus and Chinese military. It is time for some genuinely sane steps. Surely, repeating the Shaheen Bagh formula of sending in hired goons, who actually claimed to be locals, to Tikri to destroy farmers’ tents and property while shouting nationalist slogans is not the right way. It is counterproductive as it is bound to alienate further one of the most vibrant and patriotic segments of our society. It is equally unwise to charge journalists like Rajdeep Sardesai, Mrinal Pandey etc. and intellectuals like Shashi Tharoor with sedition just because they do not agree with the government.

We all need to realize that this movement is not sectarian but national in character. It involves economic issues with ramifications for the entire country. The farmers’ leaders too must beware of infiltrators and unequivocally condemn and boycott all those who raised Khalistani and Pro-Bhindranwale slogans at the protest sites. Let us not forget that on 26 January a huge car rally was taken out in USA, UK, Canada and some other countries by the Khalistanis. These people are being openly backed by Pakistan. This is a dangerous trend which only we can halt by remaining united and respecting our compatriots. We will always have our differences but that is no reason to call each other as traitors, terrorists or anti-nationals.

On their part, the government and the opposition must join hands to resolve this issue as speedily as possible and resist the temptation to play politics. More than individual egos are at stake.