A concerted ‘conspiracy’ to discredit ongoing farmers movement, allege farmers unions
Farmers won’t Move an Inch till the Laws are Repealed
The events in the national capital New Delhi during the massive tractor parade of protesting farmers on the Republic Day have reminded the last years anti-CAA movement. Suffice to say, the farmers’ unions and opposition parties unanimously alleged that it was a “concerted conspiracy, aided and abetted by Modi Government” to discredit a legitimate mass movement and to criminalise a democratic protest as happened with the anti-CAA movement.
Even over 20 opposition parties boycotted the President’s address to Parliament in full solidarity with protesting farmers engaged in a 2-month standoff over three contentious agricultural laws the government refuses to repeal. Despite this, President Ram Nath Kovind, in his joint address, strongly defended these agri-laws that have sparked intense protests, and condemned as “very unfortunate” the Republic Day violence and the “insult” to the tricolour during the farmers tractor parade on January 26. The President’s address is considered the policy of the government.
The mammoth tractor parade organised by farmers unions on the Republic Day witnessed participation of over a lakh of tractors and along with them many lakhs of farmers peacefully moved onto the agreed routes for the parade.
In all states in the country, similar parades and other actions of solidarity took place in a big manner but except the national capital no untoward incident was reported from anywhere in the country.
At the same time, while condemning the violence, farmers’ unions said even on the agreed routes for the tractor parade, the police obstructed by resorting to lathi charges and tear gassing at various places, naturally provoking an angry reaction.
The facts unfolded after the happenings in Delhi revealed that Punjabi actor and singer Deep Sidhu is the mastermind of Delhi violence, who unfurled the Sikh religious flag Nishan Sahib at the nearby pole on the rampart of the Red Fort.
Furthermore, a set of people with premeditated motive of violence, who have nothing to do with the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (which is the umbrella body of 41 farmers’ unions), were permitted to enter the premises of the Red Fort, climb onto its columns and put a flag there. Those who did it, Deep Sidhu and gang, have been seen in the past reportedly with PM Modi and Home Minister, the alleged evidence of which is now available in public domain. Instead of arresting them, then and there, they were permitted to go back.
The billion-dollar question is, “How can the police remain mute spectators as 500-700 people occupied the Red Fort?”
Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader and former minister Bikram Singh Majithia asked why did the police did not act against these anti-social elements immediately.
“It is surprising that law enforcement agencies did not deem it fit to act against them immediately. It is even more bizarre that the same persons were given a free run to enter the Red Fort which is otherwise impossible to even approach due to heavy security deployment. The fact that the government did not even react to the developments yesterday had made it clear that the acts of violence were part of a deep-rooted conspiracy,” he asked.
Echoing on similar lines, Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala told Radiance Viewsweekly, “A concerted conspiracy is unfolding to malign the farmers’ movement and to push them out and bury the demand for repeal of the three anti-agriculture black laws under the din and noise of FIRs and the maligning game that is unfolding, both through selective media as also through BJP supporters.”
He added, “One incident was on the border, where the police were lathi charging and tear gassing farmers, because they were trying to control law and order. I am sure lots of farmers and I saw how people on those tractors were beaten up mercilessly and like animals. The police duty is to implement the law (not to torture and terrorise citizens).”
Independent observers also questioned the ruling BJP’s moral authority to criticise farmers’ agitation.
Ravi Joshi said the BJP has no moral authority to criticise farmers. In an article, Joshi underlined, “A party that came to power on the basis of a famed rath yatra led by its supremo L.K. Advani can hardly blame a tractor parade of farmers for creating chaos in Delhi for a few hours. Yes, some lumpen elements from among the protesting farmers clashed with the police and entered the iconic Red Fort, from where every prime minister has hoisted the flag on Independence Day since 1947. It is now clear that the national flag was not pulled down, but another flag was hoisted a few meters away.” Joshi is a visiting fellow at the ORF and ex bureaucrat.
DEMAND FOR IMPARTIAL INQUIRY
Calling it a conspiracy to malign farmers and discredit them, leaders of 16 opposition parties said an impartial investigation will reveal the BJP-led government’s nefarious role in orchestrating the events on the Republic Day.
An estranged ally of ruling BJP, the Akali Dal demanded an international inquiry into the violence in Delhi. Its leader Bikram Singh Majithia said, “Only an international inquiry can expose the anti-social elements that had already been named by the independent media. Central agencies cannot do this probe as they are apparently involved in sabotaging the Kisan Andolan and ensuring that farmers and khet mazdoor do not get their just dues.”
PRESS CONFERENCE
Coming forward in support of the on-going farmers’ movement, a group of senior academics, activists and lawyers, strongly condemned the government’s attempt to criminalise and break a legitimate people’s movement. Senior Advocate Prashant Bhushan, Kumar Prashant, Shabnam Hashmi, Atul Sood, Dinesh Abrol and others addressed a press conference at the Press Club of India. They said, “Despite the clear, unequivocal condemnation by farmers’ leaders of any violence on January 26, the government has activated the criminal justice machinery to lodge FIRs against them under a range of criminal laws, including shockingly an anti-terror law, the UAPA.
“This is now becoming a familiar playbook of the ruling establishment, last seen in the winter of 2019, when the equal citizenship movement against the CAA-NRC, and its young leadership, was similarly vilified, terrorised, charged under UAPA, and arrested.”
The speakers demanded an unconditional withdrawal of these motivated FIRs against the leadership of the farmers’ movement, calling it a brazen misuse of the police and the law to silence people’s legitimate democratic expression.
SPEAKERS ATTACK SUBSERVIENT MEDIA
The speakers drew attention to the subservient media that is, once again, publicising these lies. Several speakers spoke of the completely peaceful nature of large sections of the farmers’ rally on January 26, where with pride and the tricolour aloft their thousands of tractors, farmers made their way into the capital city of the republic.
This vision of a people’s democracy on display was entirely obliterated by the mainstream media, and only the discordant violence by some, was made the dominant story. Any individual striking even a marginally different note to the dominant state-sponsored narrative, is now being targeted.
Speakers expressed alarm at how senior journalists and public figures have been charged with sedition among other criminal sections of the IPC, simply for a tweet that was retracted.
For 68 days now, lakhs of farmers have been sitting on Delhi’s borders, in a peaceful fashion. The Modi administration tear gassed them, lathi charged them and water-cannoned them in biting cold, but they did not lose patience and continued their peaceful Satyagrah, said Hanan Mollah, AIKS leader, while speaking to Radiance.
Another farm leader, VM Singh, made a scathing attack on the government, saying, “If we agree with you, we are farmers; if we disagree with you, we are Khalistanis. You have had 10 rounds of talks and have not understood that these people are not Khalistanis, that they are not anti-social, not anti-national. This is part of their strategy to discredit us.”
SETBACK TO BJP
After these unsavoury incidents, BJP has used its supporters to dislodge farmers from protesting sites but these attempts failed. In protest, Haryana BJP chief and former parliamentary secretary Rampal Majra quit the party, saying BJP is responsible for the violence of January 26.
“I offer my unconditional support to the farmers protesting against the farm laws. These laws are not just anti-farmers but when implemented, would have a long-lasting impact on people from all walks of life,” Majra said
OPPOSITION ANNOUNCED PROACTIVE ROLE
The Opposition leaders have announced that they will take a more proactive role as the Centre is trying to suppress the agitation.
Mallikarjun Kharge reiterated the Congress stand that Home Minister Amit Shah must resign over the incidents of violence. He said it is a big issue and the Centre is ignoring the protest of farmers.
The joint statement of 16 parties said the farmers have been collectively fighting against the three farm laws that threaten the future of Indian agriculture which sustains over 60 per cent of the country’s population and the livelihood of crores of farmers, sharecroppers and farm labour. “Lakhs of farmers have been agitating at the National Capital, braving biting cold and heavy rains for the last 64 days for their rights and justice. Over 155 farmers have lost their lives. Every effort has been made, to discredit a legitimate mass movement through a government- sponsored disinformation campaign,” the leaders said.
MUSLIM ORGANISATIONS
The Muslim organisations also reiterated their support to the ongoing farmers’ struggle. While condemning the violence in Delhi, Jamaat-e-Islami Hind said the government should heed the just demand of farmers. Jamaat Vice President Engineer Mohammad Salim said the untoward incidents that occurred cannot detract the focus from the main demand. These incidents, handiwork of agent provocateurs, some with links to the ruling party, have been denounced by the entire farmers’ movement and the government must repeal the laws, he added.
STRATEGY OF VIOLENCE BACKFIRE
It seems that the conspiracy of engineering violence with an aim to dub the farmers and farm labourers as “anarchist”, malign them and throw them out is backfired. An emotional appeal by farm leader Rakesh Tikait, hinted at the government crackdown on the two-month long agitation, has provided the necessary fuel to the farmers’ agitation which witnessed a fall in numbers, following the Red Fort incident. A sea of humanity witnessed in urgently convened Mahapanachayat held in Muzaffarnagar, calling for boycott of anyone not backing the movement. Now the protesting sites at Delhi borders are swelling with new protestors vowing that they will not move an inch till the laws are repealed. Because it has also become a question of “Jat pride” for them.