Farmers too are just a phone call away, Prime Minister

The Prime Minister Narendra Modi while addressing the first ‘Mann Ki Baat’ of the year on Sunday, did not tell the entire truth to the nation; instead he accused the farmers of dishonouring the national flag on Republic Day. The fact is otherwise. The fact of the matter is the tricolour, the pride of the nation, was dishonoured by some unruly elements including pro-BJP men on that fateful day.

Modi said thousands of protesting farmers had breached security at the Red Fort on January 26 after deviating from their tractor rally route, triggering a conflict with the police. They planted a religious flag atop the Red Fort, an incident which, he said, sparked national outrage.

It is however now an open secret that a BJP cadre, whose photo along with Modi is already in circulation, was the mastermind behind hoisting of the religious flag on that day. Incidentally in the wake of the Red Fort episode a photo is also circulating in which the PM is seen with a head scarf carrying the sign of Nishan Sahib. Sikh Jawans in the Indian Army too apparently use the symbol and carry the flag. But instead of cursing his own party cadres for the alleged misdemeanour, the PM put the blame on the farmers.

He also said the government is committed to modernising agriculture and is taking many steps in this regard. He has continuously been harping on reforms and modernisation, while the farmers who are supposed to be beneficiaries have been opposed to his moves. Since the farmers are against this nature of reforms, one fails to make out why he has been insistent on implementing it.

To show his concern to the farmers, the PM said his government was just a phone call away for talks with them. If what he was saying was true, then what deters him from picking up phone and summon the farmers for the dialogue? Why has he made it an ego issue?

Apparently three issues are deterring him to accede to the demands of the farmers. First, the directive of the IMF to allow international operators to enter into the food bazar, second, his fear that people’s power would then be seen overriding political power and finally, to protect the interests of his corporate friends who have entered into agro-business to emerge as key players in the international market.

This observation of the Prime Minister does not leave any doubt that he would not concede to the demands of the farmers to repeal the three laws or legalise the MSP. Not only this, the government would not take any initiative to open any dialogue with the farmers.

In this backdrop the statement of Naresh Tikait, elder brother of Rakesh Tikait, is quite significant; “The violence on January 26 was part of a conspiracy. The Tricolor is over and above everything. We will never let anyone disrespect it. It will not be tolerated.” But it is sad that police continues to harass the farmers, journalists and activists for raising the voice of protest against the sordid incident of Red Fort.

Barely ten years back the BJP felt proud in claiming itself as a party with difference. But within six years of its rule, it has degenerated into a conglomeration of mercenaries and law breakers, lacking morality and moral conviction. Earlier they acted as vigilantes, during Delhi riots they behaved like marauders, and now in the wake of farmers agitation they are acting like mercenaries. In all the cases they pretended to be local people but carried out attacks with Delhi police providing them cover.

The modus operandi of Delhi police makes it explicit that the violence that took place on January 26 was part of a deep rooted conspiracy. The task of the government was made easier by the media, which acted like cheerleaders of the state. It accorded sanctity to repressive instincts and mechanism that were brutally used by the Delhi police. Including six journalists at least 30 leaders are facing the charges of sedition. It would be interesting to watch how the judiciary behaves. Already one free-lance journalist for exposing the police misdeeds has been sent to 14 day judicial custody.

This action of the BJP and the Modi government has tremendously hurt the sentiment of the Sikh community. From the beginning of the protest BJP leaders and ministers of the Modi government have been maligning them. Senior ministers called Sikh farmers ‘Khalistanis’. A brazen attempt was made to criminalise and communalise the Sikh protestors.

The Modi government had till now been treating the farmers’ protest as primarily a Punjab-specific movement that had some support in Haryana but unfortunately for it the crackdown seems to have spread the fire to western Uttar Pradesh and beyond. Many in the BJP fear that western Uttar Pradesh could now turn into the epicentre of the farm protests, which would not be good news for the Yogi Adityanath government.

Shockingly an attempt is being made by some Hindi newspapers to depict the Tikait brothers, Naresh and Rakesh, as failed politicians who are now striving to gain legitimacy. It obviously implied that their sole design is to tell the people that look these people are challenging the prime minister having enormous mandate. In fact the BJP leaders and even RSS has been trying to tell the people that the farmers have been challenging the authority of an elected government. For them democracy ends with it.

The manner in which the situation is developing, the country may witness the peaceful Gandhian upsurge of the people. It is sad that RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat in his pursuit to turn India into a Hindu Rashtra has refused to restrain Modi from acting in a dictatorial manner. To understand the current farmers’ agitation, one needs to understand the history, culture and the people who are in the vanguard of this struggle.

Views expressed in the article are personal

(IPA Service)