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.
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