Farmers should avoid getting trapped into brutalized polity unleashed by BJP

Farmers should avoid getting trapped into brutalized polity unleashed by BJP

Ground Zero

Jagtar Singh

The assault on Bharatiya Janata Party MLA Arun Narang Saturday in Malout town in the Malwa district of Muktsar by the protesting farmers is highly reprehensible.

Every political party in Punjab and Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh have rightly condemned the incident that at one level reflects rising anger among the people who are battling for survival threatened by the three farm laws passed by the Narendra Modi government during Covid. The protests in Punjab started in June last year when ordinance was promulgated to give effect to these laws, the measure that is resorted to only due to urgency. There was no urgency and still the Modi government went ahead. Thousands of farmers have been sitting at three places on Delhi borders for the last four months.

The attack by the BJP elements in the garb of the local residents on the farmers camping at Snghu border too was vicious. The police became complicit with these goonda elements by being mute spectator.

The target of attack was the tented accommodation housing women protesters. The police brutally beat up the farmers who tried to repulse that attack.

There was no outrage in the media then like the way the Malout incident has been highlighted. Of course, these attackers posing as the locals were exposed by a section of the media as the BJP people by splashing their pictures with leaders of the ruling party at the centre.

The BJP did not condemn that appalling incident.

But then it is not for the first time that somebody has been attacked in this way, barring the fact that the victim was an MLA and his clothes were torn to bits. He was completely naked when escorted by the policemen to a nearby shop.

India witnessed increasing incidents, especially against Muslims, after the coming into power of the BJP at the centre in 2014. People have been lynched. The BJP has been hailing the attackers thereby encouraging communal violence.

It is the BJP that is responsible for triggering brutalized polity in the democratic domain. The attack on Narang in Malout is continuation of the unleashing of that politics that has boomeranged on this party in this case.

However, the farmers have to be very cautious and alert as such incidents would only provide handle to the BJP to further berate this otherwise the most peaceful struggle that is under focus of the global community.

The policy of testing the patience of the farmers adopted by the Modi government is fraught with risk, especially in the context of Punjab’s history. The religio-political dynamics of this border state dictated by its demographic pattern and history of turbulence is different from all other regions.

This is a protest the like of which has not been witnessed at least in India. The women from Punjab are participating at this level for the first time. The farmers adequately prepare themselves to the changes in weather. They are now installing coolers and air-conditioners. They won’t return without getting these three laws scrapped. The leaders can’t risk any agreement less than that.

There could have been middle path till the third month. Not anymore.

The Modi government should also realise the fall out. If the government is willing to amendment or keep these laws on hold, there is no reason to stand on prestige by refusing to junk them.

Sooner the Modi government realises that these laws have become albatross around its neck, better it would be.

The corporate model of development rooted in free market is already getting backlash and is in the process of withdrawal. These laws have failed the farmers even in USA going by the studies available.

The immediate concern here is that the farmers and their leaders would have to be very cautious at every step so that they don’t get trapped. Agent provocateurs have to do their job. The January 26 incident had hit the struggle.

In case this mighty protest is to be taken to the logical conclusion, every type of provocation would have to be avoided.

The Punjab BJP have been provoking the farmers by maligning this struggle.

The situation calls for patience.