By Col. C. M. Ramakrishnan (Retd.)
A veritable siege on the capital has progressed now for two months. Disguised as a democratic protest ostensibly against the Indian Agriculture Acts of 2020 by “farmers”, the ongoing “farmers’ protest” since August last year is almost a re-enactment of the Shaheen Bagh sit-in (December 2019 – March 2020) by Islamist groups that culminated in the Anti-Hindu Delhi Riots of 2020. This mode of disrupting national life and obstructing the functioning of the government has now become the resort of opposition parties like the Indian National Congress (INC) to whom it becomes increasingly apparent that with their waning popularity and diminishing hold over the masses the chances of their democratically coming to power are nigh impossible. Equally, the left-leaning elements in the polity which forms a miniscule but influential and vocal group of opinion makers but has never been representative of the masses, seeks to gain traction in this manner forever ready to lend support to such acts of subversion. Together with Islamists and other religious factions whose relevance lies in acting against Indian mainstream, these groups will continue to find their chances by manufacturing such ‘protests’ in the face of the weak-willed and complaisant BJP government.
Disturbing pictures, videos and statements now emerge from these “protests” threatening violence, indicating that Government of India and the citizens of Delhi must be prepared to face violent mobs, a second time within a year. The modus operandi is the same: to infiltrate ‘protest groups’ with goons and criminal elements to precipitate riots. Threats of violence have already been emanating from the ‘protesters’. Mob violence has been witnessed all across Punjab and at one inciting remark of the president of INC, Rahul Gandhi, hundreds of telecom towers were damaged in a single day bringing communications to a halt.
Like most common citizens who have been helpless witnesses of the unrest, I have been of the generally held opinion that the projected discontent for the ‘protests’ would be resolved through talks with the government. However some recent pronouncements and threats by ‘activists’ appearing in media contain alarming indications of seriously deteriorating situation in the Delhi border. It appears that the ‘peaceful protests’ organised by the rich farmers from Punjab and parts of Haryana will not be peaceful much longer. Flush with cash (to the tune of 60 thousand crores) from the sale of their paddy at a high of Rupees 1,800/- per quintal Punjab farmers had a respite before the next cropping season.
Systematically Planned Disruption
After the failure of plans to disrupt peace in the country on religious grounds on the pretext of protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA), in spite of organised riots in Delhi, the farmers protest appear as the latest bid of vested political interests to freshly foment trouble by collecting farmers from all over the country and getting them to stage protests against the Modi government. The Indian Agriculture Acts of 2020, dubbed ‘farmers bill’, became the pretext.
The positive nature of the farmers bill intended to give the Indian kisaan the right to sell his produce to the highest bidder did not sit well with the wily middlemen who form an easy alliance with netas of various political parties. One of the prime reasons of poverty among agrarian communities and the reason for emigration to cities has been this section who have for centuries profited at the cost of the marginal farmer, underpaying them while collecting the high minimum support price (MSP) offered in post-independent India and pocketing the enormous difference. This prevented farmers from ever benefitting from their labours. The rich farmers in Punjab who have managed to hike the MSP year after year and making the government continue to purchase their crops which were obviously surplus to requirements of the country. The ‘farmers’ protest’ is therefore to frighten the government to guarantee MSP in perpetuity denying the marginal farmers an alternative mandi or market where they could get a better price by selling their produce directly.
The INC and left-aligned parties have been out of power in the centre and most of the states and so their planning and prodding the unscrupulous commission agents of the Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) and the rich farmers was only to be expected. The strong connection of INC and the Sikh right-wing extremist Akalis in Punjab to the middlemen and the rich farmers is no secret. However their willingness to descend into lawless behaviour and outright violence is dangerous to peace in the nation and must be sternly handled.
Open Threats of Violence.
Government intelligence reports indicate active pro-Khalistan organisations like Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) actively fomenting an uprising. Images from the ongoing protests contain disturbing portents, of tractors being used to breakdown barricades and worse, attempting to run over police personnel, expose the dangerous intentions of these so-called protesters to use tractors as weapons. There have been among them individuals openly threatening to harm Prime Minister Modi invoking comparisons with the assassination of former prime minister Mrs Indira Gandhi by her Sikh bodyguards. These would be treated lightly at our own peril. The well-built and well-dressed Ludhiana MP issued a threat of heaping dead bodies to achieve ‘their aim’. It was claimed by another that he is getting telephone calls from Muslims wishing to join them as a means of returning the favour of Sikh separatists’ support to the CAA unrests. Calls have been openly given out by Muslims to join the protests. Clearly, delineations along predictable lines and altogether different political agenda far from any concern of farmers.
A Difficult Situation Ahead
It is critical that the government does not give in to the protesters demand of allowing their tractors to enter Delhi for a parade on 26 January. It would create a serious security threat and a potential situation of a violent insurrection. It has been amply demonstrated that the protestors will not stop at breaking police barricades to wreak havoc on innocent Delhi citizens. The forces of Delhi Police and those of Haryana and Uttar Pradesh are already stretched in controlling the protesters. The only apt gratitude for their services would be to not stress them further by ill-conceived concessions by the administration imperilling the law and order situation.
Expectations From Organisers
That politics is another name for rank opportunism is too clearly seen from the move of Chowdhury Charan Singh’s Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) headed by Tikaits, family of the well-known farmer from western UP, joining in the protest. In their bid to re-emerge in politics riding the wave of farmers protest it is very likely that they will become the fall guy in the even violence breaks out, ending up shielding Maoists and Khalistani insurgents.
It is now time that a strong voice should arise from among genuine farmers from UP, Haryana and Punjab to call out the motivated politicians and goons and hoodlums immediately and support the administration. It is also imperative that the government, unlike the mild handling during the violence over CAA, deals with the hoodlums strongly this time not allowing these individuals to get away and get another opportunity with yet another protest over another faux issue to act out their hostility towards the state of India. The sign of a good government is that while allowing people to voice opinions it does not brook challenge to its authority. This impedes the rights of law-abiding citizens.
Farmers, if there are any real farmers in these protests, cannot be allowed to talk about and give calls of violence. Any protest implies that there must be talks with the government. If the intentions and aims of the protest are not clearly spelt out and hazy, it is pure subversion.
People of Delhi and India cannot be held hostage and watch their democratic rights being hijacked by motivated violence of groups.
Cover Picture: A Scene of Protest in Delhi (Source: The Quint)
Featured Image: ‘What Ails The Poor farmer’ (Source: Current News)
Superb article
Thank you. Regards.